Rivers and Roads
by tinyhuman02
Summary: Post 8x24, set 5 months later in October. A significant event occurs that could either bring April and Jackson closer together or push them farther apart. Very AU because Lexie survived as well as Mark and Arizona. Japril centric, though other characters have roles in their story.
1. Chapter 1

**First try at this FanFic thing, so kinda nervous lol. Anyway, since I'm considering this very A/U whatever happens in season 9 won't affect this story. Not a medical expert, so did a bunch of research to try to make the medicine parts sound realistic enough. No idea how long this will be, but I already have a bunch of chapters done.** **Title comes from the song by The Head and the Heart.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Grey's or their characters.**

* * *

Five months had passed since the plane crash nearly took the lives of Seattle Grace Mercy West's beloved surgeons. The first few months were difficult for Arizona Robbins and Lexie Grey, who both suffered the most injuries from the crash. Arizona was forced to lose almost her entire left leg and needed to learn how to walk on a prosthetic leg. Also, her internal injuries were more severe than she thought, almost dying twice on the OR table. Lexie, having been crushed by a chunk of the airplane, barely made it alive at Boise Memorial and it was a critical week for her in the ICU. Not only that, but her injuries required a double hip replacement as well as a lower left leg amputation just below her knee. The surgeons managed to salvage her right leg. If it weren't for Callie Torres arguing her way into the OR, Lexie would've been a double amputee. Little Grey had a longer recovery period than Arizona, but she was expected to live a normal life again and return for her fifth year of residency the following year.

Mark Sloan recovered from his own injuries. He refused to let Lexie slip away again and proposed to her shortly after they returned to Seattle. They had a summer wedding planned for next July. Lexie hoped the date would give her enough time to learn how to walk without crutches and an obvious limp.

Cristina Yang still had her mind set on the Mayo Clinic for her fellowship, but even all of the incentives being offered from them couldn't get her to ride an airplane. Driving was an option until she learned Owen Hunt fired Teddy Altman while she was stranded in the wilderness. Teddy had been a great mentor and teacher, so she gave her husband an ultimatum: rehire Teddy or she leaves for Mayo. Owen caved in and fortunately, Teddy returned for Cristina.

Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey stayed in Seattle for a variety of reasons. Meredith wouldn't leave Lexie after the major injuries her sister suffered. Derek's hand required surgery. Since he wasn't in the best condition to perform surgery Harvard pulled their offer, but he wanted to stay for Lexie too. His hand regained 90% of its normal function, which made him apprehensive about performing his first surgery. However, he grew comfortable again with each surgery that came his way.

Alex Karev became extremely guilty about Arizona taking his place on the airplane. He could only blame himself for her losing her leg, so he decided to blow off Hopkins to make it up to her. But the guilt was still there five months later.

Jackson Avery pulled out of his Tulane fellowship a week before he was to move to New Orleans. He didn't feel right about leaving Seattle after the crash almost killed Mark and Lexie. He wanted to be there for them and his best friend, but…

April Kepner went home instead. After everything that had happened, she was still jobless and not a board certified surgeon. She needed time away from Seattle to reassess her options. Jackson didn't stop her, which she hoped he would. They never fully figured out what they were to each other. More than best friends? Dirty study buddies? Whatever it was, they still didn't know.

It was a slow day at Seattle Grace Mercy West, especially in the pit. Only minor injuries arrived through the sliding doors, but none of those patients were required to be admitted into the hospital. The day had suddenly gotten "brighter" when Owen received a call about an incoming trauma. Car accident in downtown. Driver on his cell phone ran a red light, colliding with a taxi in the middle of the intersection. Two ambulances were on their way to the hospital. All that was known was the taxi driver was in stable condition, having suffered minor injuries. The passenger was in critical condition with various injuries that would require serious attention.

Standing outside of the pit were Owen, Derek, Callie, Meredith, Cristina and Miranda Bailey. Owen paged those who were available, along with a few fifth year residents. It was quiet outside until the faint sounds of sirens were earshot. Dressed in their navy blue scrubs, hospital gowns and gloves, they waited for two ambulances to park in front of them.

"Heard there's trauma coming in. Need more hands?" Kevin Banks asked. He was the Case Western Reserve douche April punched at the bar the night before their boards. Unlike her, he passed his boards and opted to work at SGMW instead of Case Western Reserve. He was positive April took his job, so he moved to Seattle when Owen offered him a fellowship.

It wasn't until he arrived that he learned about the plane crash and April failing her boards. He did feel bad about confronting her that night. He was never the nicest drunk. He also didn't know April personally and it wasn't her fault she didn't know he was waiting for the same job offer from CWR. Plus, the dirty looks he received from Jackson dampened his welcome at the hospital. Nobody besides Jackson knew she punched him and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Let's assess the severity of the injuries first, then we can figure out how many hands we'll need," Owen answered.

The first ambulance arrived and a male EMT opened the door. "Harold Whalen, 48-year old cab driver. Possible left fibula fracture. Patient's conscious and stable," he recited as he pushed the gurney out of the vehicle.

"The young woman! Can you please make sure she's alright?" Harold exclaimed as he attempted to sit up on the gurney, though the EMT held him down. "She wasn't responding when I called out to her!"

"Dr. Banks, you've got this patient. Take the residents with you," Owen ordered. He looked at Harold as he passed by. "We'll take care of your passenger, okay? Just relax and stay calm."

The second ambulance arrived and the doctors surrounded the back of it. A female EMT opened the door, appearing slightly frantic. "Caucasian woman, about late 20's to early 30's. Blunt trauma to the left temple. Left compound wrist fracture. Possible left rib fractures. Blood pressure's 80 over 55. Patient's also about 27 weeks pregnant. She's been in and out of consciousness. Couldn't find any ID on her. Taxi collided with another car after the initial hit. It was totaled. We had to pull her out from the rear windshield."

Owen helped the EMT pull the gurney out of the ambulance. Despite the large gauze wrapped around her head, most of the patient's hair and half of her face were covered in blood. Her left wrist was splinted around where the bone was sticking out of her skin. She had an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. It took a few seconds for Owen to directly look at the patient's face, then his eyes suddenly grew wide open.

"Oh, no," he muttered. It couldn't be. What was she doing here? "Jesus Christ, it's Dr. Kepner! Let's move, people!"

None of the other doctors could stop and stare in shock. They rushed April's gurney into the hospital and ER 1. Callie couldn't help but remember her car accident with Arizona. Pregnant and on the verge of dying, she knew what it was like. She carefully examined April's fractured wrist. "She's going to need surgery on this wrist," she declared.

"Somebody page Dr. Montgomery!" Owen shouted to one of the nurses.

Cristina placed a stethoscope on April's chest. "Kepner's breathing is irregular and rapid. She might have a pneumothorax."

"Looks like a compressed skull fracture with a probable bleed in the temporal lobe," Derek said before he used a small flashlight to check April's pupils. "I need to get in there ASAP before the intracranial pressure becomes too severe."

Addison Montgomery entered the room moments later. She returned to Seattle four months ago to offer moral support to Mark and the others. It was only supposed to be temporary, but she later decided to stay. She quickly wore a gown as she approached April. "What do we have here?"

"April Kepner. She's 27 weeks pregnant," Owen answered her. "We need you check on the baby and decide whether or not it's safe to keep the baby in there. She's got a variety of injuries and we need to get her into an OR soon."

"I'm on it," Addison replied. She set up the ultrasound machine and began searching for the baby's heartbeat. "Everybody, I need you all to be quiet for a second." Within a matter of seconds, the room was silent and a loud heartbeat could be heard. "Baby's heartbeat is normal, but we'll have to keep a close eye on it. Dr. Kepner could easily go into labor considering her body's under a lot of stress."

"How the hell is Kepner knocked up?" Cristina asked, half-serious and half-amused. Although it wasn't the appropriate time to make jokes, she couldn't help but wonder who the father was. "Did anybody here know she's pregnant? I mean, _who_ did it?"

"Dr. Yang, let's keep things professional right now," Owen sternly said. He looked down at April after he heard muffled sounds coming from her mouth. Her eyelids slightly opened as he grabbed her right hand. "Dr. Kepner, it's Dr. Hunt. Can you hear me?"

April wasn't responsive as her eyes rolled back. Machines started beeping as her vitals dropped. The doctors began vigorously working on her to keep her alive. After they managed to maintain a stable heart rate, they pushed her gurney out of the ER and towards the closest elevator.

Owen stood by the entrance of the elevator and stopped Meredith before she could enter. "Grey, I need you to do something for me," he said. "Find Dr. Avery. Don't page him. Just find him. If he's in surgery, do not tell him about April until he's finished. And keep an eye on him. I don't want him barging into the OR. Am I clear?"

Meredith quickly nodded. Jackson was April's best friend, so it made sense for her to watch him like a hawk. It felt like a rehash of Lexie having to watch Mark after Callie was rushed into the OR. There was also the possibility that Jackson was the father of a baby he didn't know existed. She knew April wouldn't simply lose her virginity to just anybody. It didn't matter when it happened. There were more important things to worry about first.

"I got it," she answered.

The elevator doors closed and she started her search for Jackson. She knew he was in the hospital after seeing him that morning. The first place she checked was the surgical floor. His name was listed on the OR board. A rhinoplasty in OR 2. Meredith didn't bother scrubbing in and entered the OR holding a surgical mask in front of her face. Mark was sitting nearby reading a magazine and she decided to talk to him first.

"Uhh, Dr. Sloan? Do you have a minute?"

"I've got 50, maybe 60. That's approximately how much time Avery has before he's done," the Head of Plastics said as he set his magazine aside. He approached Meredith and placed his hands on his hips. "What's up, Grey? Is it Lexie?"

"No, it has nothing to do with Lexie for once." Meredith and Mark had formed a routine of informing each other of Lexie's stubbornness during her rehabilitation a few months back. Every now and then, she had complaints of leg and hip pain when she was on her feet too much. She would make unannounced visits at the hospital to rant about it. "She's back at your place as far as I know."

"So, what is it?"

"It's umm… it's Kepner. She's here," she whispered. "And it's not looking good right now. Did Jackson mention anything about her visiting?"

Mark slowly shook his head as his eyebrows furrowed. "Nope. Not a peep. What's wrong with Kepner?"

"She uhh… car accident. It's bad," she softly said as her eyes peered over his shoulder to check on Jackson. "Hunt told me to find Avery and keep an eye on him. He can't know until he's done in here, okay? They took her to an OR. She's got multiple injuries and… a _baby_."

"A baby," he quietly repeated. Mark took a quick glimpse of his student, who was diligently working on his patient's nose and uninterested in their conversation. He raised an eyebrow at Meredith. "Is it Avery's?"

"I have no idea," she replied with a shoulder shrug. "But it's possible, right? None of us knew she even… well, it's a horrible time to make jokes about her virginity. She's in terrible shape. Addison's in the OR in case she has to deliver the baby."

Mark cringed as he scratched the back of his neck. Like Callie, he was having flashbacks of when she and Sofia were in danger. Now Jackson was in his position… once he finds out and if he was indeed the father. Even if he wasn't, April was his best friend. He'd freak out regardless.

"You can head out. I'll watch him for you."

"Alright, thanks. Oh, and make sure he's nowhere near the OR after he finds out. Knock him out if you have to."

He softly chuckled. "That's something I've always wanted to do anyway."

After Meredith left the OR, Mark returned to his seat near the operating table. He casually began reading his magazine again when Jackson turned his head to look at him. "What did Grey want?"

"Nothing. Lexie's complaining of hip pain, so Torres will check it out later," he replied. "So uhh, how's Kepner doing? You two still keep in touch, right?"

"Yeah, every once in a while." Jackson and April's friendship had changed since she left Seattle. They tried to contact each other on the phone and on Skype, but his busy schedule made it difficult to talk on a daily basis. "I spoke to her two weeks ago. She seems okay. She decided to give the boards another try in June."

"That's good," he chirped, though he was frowning behind his mask. "I recall you being bummed as hell when she left. Why didn't you convince her to stay?"

Jackson took a deep breath and sighed. He hadn't opened up to anybody about what happened between him and April. He still lived with Alex, but he never told him about them having sex in San Francisco. "She needed time away from here… to think. I can't force her to stay if she doesn't want to."

"I see." Mark paused for a moment. "You know, I once tried to convince her to sleep with you. You were so uptight about whatever was bothering you that I thought she could be more than your study buddy because you two were best friends. Did she ever tell you about that?"

"No, she didn't and you're an ass for doing that," he said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Even though they eventually slept together, he hated people meddling with April's love life or lack thereof. First his mother tried to hook her up with the brother of the penis transplant patient, now Sloan admitted to some meddling. "Anyway, can we stop talking about April? I'm trying to concentrate on this nose."

"Okay, but one more question. Remember back when we were consulting with a patient and you rambled on about a potential spark with somebody? Was it Kepner?"

"Shut up, Sloan." Jackson sighed and shook his head. "She's my best friend and I miss her. If you're expecting me to pour out my feelings or whatever, it's not happening. We're just friends."

Mark smirked as he returned to his magazine. "Whatever you say, Avery." His other half of the Plastics Posse was definitely the baby daddy, even though he had no idea.

* * *

"Shit," Derek muttered behind his surgical mask. "Kepner has heavy bleeding in the temporal lobe. There's some damage to the hippocampus. I'll try to control the bleeding as best as I can, but she could suffer some retrograde and anterograde amnesia."

"Fortunately, her ribs didn't puncture her lung. She only has a pulmonary contusion," Cristina added.

There were three surgeries happening at the same time. Derek worked on April's brain bleed, while Cristina focused on fixing her two fractured ribs. Callie slowly repaired her fractured wrist. Because everything was on the left side they all had to be careful about not bumping into each other. Addison sat close by as she monitored the baby's vitals. Owen and Miranda stood by the operating table in case they were needed.

Meredith entered the OR after scrubbing in and approached Owen. "I found Avery. He's in OR 2 with Sloan. Mark will watch him until he's finished with his surgery. Is there anything else I can do?"

"Ah, yes. Dr. Grey, I could use an extra hand over here," Derek requested. With Lexie taking a year off from the program, Meredith was his next best option for neurosurgery. He didn't quite trust the other residents and she was his wife after all.

The mood in the OR was tense, but calm. The doctors were working hard to keep April and her baby alive. Addison never looked away from the baby's heart monitor until Alex entered the room after scrubbing in.

"I'm making a second year resident close up my kid for me. If she screws up-" Alex froze when he saw April on the operating table. "Dude, is that _Kepner_? Wait, does Avery know she's here?"

"No, he doesn't and he's not allowed to know right now, Karev," Owen answered.

"What the hell happened to her?" Alex asked concerned. April wasn't his favorite person, but they were roommates, so they had somewhat of a bond. Plus, the apartment wasn't the same without her perky presence. Jackson seemed to be moodier than he was.

"Car accident. Shepherd, Yang and Torres have it covered for now, but Dr. Montgomery is monitoring the baby's vitals. You're here to assist her in case she has to deliver the baby."

"Wait a freakin' minute!" Alex inched closer to Addison and stared at the baby's monitor. "She's knocked up? Damn, Avery's gonna flip out when he finds out. Even more so if he's the father."

"Quiet, Karev. We're trying to concentrate on our surgeries, so please shut up," Callie demanded.

About an hour and a half into the surgeries, the fetal heart monitor began beeping rapidly. "This baby's under distress. We need to get it out of there," Addison ordered.

"Brain bleed's controlled for now, but make it quick," Derek said as he took a step back from the operating table.

"Karev, let's prep her quickly. Grey, watch the heart monitor for any changes." Addison scrambled to take her place at the operating table. She and Alex began preparing for an emergency C-section, while Meredith sat in front of the fetal heart monitor.

Everything seemed like a blur for Owen. He watched his surgeons operate on his former student. He felt like he let her down after she failed her boards. Being the Chief of Surgery prevented him from mentoring her the way Mark and Teddy did with Jackson and Cristina. He thought April was a good surgeon, but failing her boards opened the opportunity to hire a doctor who was board certified. Now the guilt crept up behind him. If he hadn't fired her, she wouldn't be lying in the OR with her life hanging by a string of hope. He was so caught up in feeling guilty that he hadn't immediately noticed the panic in the OR.

"We've got more bleeding!" Derek shouted.

"Hold on a second! We've almost got the baby out," Addison answered. After she pulled the baby out, she handed it to Alex. "Somebody page Dr. Robbins. Karev, check the baby's vitals. I'll close her up."

Alex carefully set the tiny human on a small bed. The baby was a boy, about two pounds and 14 inches. After he cleaned him up, he checked the baby's heart rate. He placed a small oxygen mask over his nose and mouth to help him breathe. The baby seemed to be doing alright, but he needed extensive care in the NICU immediately.

Arizona practically ran into the OR with her walking cane in hand. Most days, she drove a small scooter around the hospital to get to rooms faster. It had the most obnoxious horn anybody had ever heard, but Alex knew to move the hell out of the way when he heard it nearby. "Got the page. What's going on?"

"Meet Baby Boy Kepner," he said, slightly smiling behind his surgical mask.

"Baby Boy _what_?" Arizona turned around to see her wife and peers operating on April. Since they had rushed her into the OR she was clueless about the car accident and well, the baby. "I'm really confused."

"I'll explain it to you later, but we gotta take the kid to NICU. His vitals are looking stable for now, so we should start moving," he suggested. Alex gently wrapped a blanket around the baby before he started pushing the bed out of the OR with Arizona following him from behind. "Out of the way, out of the way!"

Once again, Derek was working to stop the bleeding in April's brain. Meredith returned by his side to assist him, while Miranda helped Addison close April's belly. And Owen stood still with a blank expression on his face. April hadn't done anything wrong to deserve this crap, he thought. All he could do was wait and hope she survives.

* * *

**Wasn't sure if I wanted to throw the pregnancy angle in there, but you can't have drama without drama! I know this sounds similar to Callie's accident, but there's more to the story than you might think ;)**

**Reviews/feedback would be much appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, BIG thank you to everybody who reviewed and are following this story! It really means a lot to me. At this point, I've got 7 chapters completed. I'll be spreading out my updates, so it gives me room to write newer chapters at the same time. I'm planning on updating on Wednesdays and either Saturday or Sunday. However, I'll be kind and give you Chapter 2 a day early :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

By the time Jackson finished his surgery he was exhausted. He had been awake since 5 AM and lack of sleep was taking its toll. He needed to check on a few post-ops before he could go home. Mark hadn't received any updates from April's OR and wasn't sure if he should tell Jackson about what happened.

As they scrubbed out together at the sink, Mark tried to pick Jackson's brain. "Now that your procedure's over, gonna tell me what's up with you and Kepner?"

Jackson rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You'll never let it go until I tell you, right?"

"As if I'd stop asking you about that," he said and chuckled. "C'mon, spill. Off the record. Complete confidentiality. We can even pinky swear if you want."

"Uhh, that won't be necessary, the pinky swear thing," Jackson muttered. He stared at his hands and avoided eye contact with Mark. "April and I… we slept together at the boards. Twice, actually. We never figured out what that meant. She didn't want to talk about it. She uhh, was saving herself for marriage or whatever, so she thought I felt guilty about having sex with her and breaking her freakin' promise to Jesus."

"Did you?"

"Of course not. She's my best friend. We trusted each other," he explained. He suddenly slammed his palms against the edge of the sink. "For the record, _she_ threw herself at _me_! And it was totally unexpected. She said it was okay!"

Mark dried his hands and rested one on Jackson's shoulder. "Are you in love with her?" A sly grin formed on his face when the pretty boy remained silent. "You are, huh? That's why you've been moping and moody since she left. It makes more sense why you haven't hooked up with any of the women I suggested for you. Why haven't you told her?"

Jackson closed his eyes and sighed. "I wanted to. Before she went home to Ohio, I made it to the airport in time to tell her not to go, but… I choked. I was messed up. With the crash and April and _Webber banging my mom_…" He immediately looked at Mark, who opened his mouth to say something. "Shut up."

"I wasn't going to say anything about… that last part…"

"Look, I wasn't sure if I was in love with her at the time. She asked me to give her a good reason why she should stay and I couldn't say it," he continued with a frown on his face. "So I let her go. Being thousands of miles away from her, it sucks. I want to fly to Ohio and bring her back here. She should be in Seattle with me."

Mark had a sick feeling in his stomach. Having to listen to Jackson talk about April, unaware of the fact that she _was_ in Seattle and being operated on in SGMW, made it more difficult to hold back what he knew. Meredith did tell him to inform him after his surgery. He had to know.

"Avery," he started. "There's no easy way to tell you this, but… April's here, in this hospital."

"She is?" Jackson's face appeared to light up, though he was surprised as well. "Where is she?"

Mark firmly gripped both of Jackson's shoulders. "Listen, there was a car accident. I don't know the full details, but she sustained multiple injuries. They're operating on her right-"

Before he could finish, Jackson pushed him away and bolted out the door. Mark chased him into the hallway and tackled him to the floor. "Avery, you need to calm down! I don't know which OR they're in, but you can't be in there."

"Well, is she alright?! I have to know if she's okay!" Jackson struggled to push Mark off of him. "Get the hell off of me, Sloan!"

The ruckus could be heard from inside of OR 3, which forced Owen to step out into the hallway. He saw Mark restraining Jackson, which meant he knew about April, and approached them. "Dr. Avery you can't be here. April's in good hands, but you need to stay away from this floor. You can wait downstairs in the lobby and I'll send somebody to you when we have an update."

Mark helped Jackson stand up and tightly held on to his arm to prevent him from escaping again. "I'll watch him and have a fifth year cover his post-ops."

"Can I at least know what happened first?" Jackson pleaded.

"April was riding in a taxi when another car collided with them in the middle of an intersection in downtown. The other driver ran a red light and slammed into them. April has a skull fracture and an epidural hematoma in the temporal lobe, which Dr. Shepherd is taking care of. Dr. Torres is working on a fractured left wrist and Dr. Yang found a couple of rib fractures and a pulmonary contusion. Also, she was-" Owen noticed Mark quickly shaking his head as he stood behind Jackson. He obviously didn't have a clue about the baby. "She's been doing well so far. It may be another couple of hours before they're finished, but like I said. We'll update you ASAP."

Mark gently patted Jackson's back as he turned him away from Owen. "Let's go, Avery. Change out of your scrubs and we'll grab some coffee along the way."

Jackson felt numb. He couldn't believe what was happening to his best friend. Now it was his turn to feel extremely guilty. He should've told her at the airport how he felt, he thought. If she didn't survive, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for letting her leave.

* * *

_Four months ago..._

It had been a few weeks since the doctors were rescued from the plane crash. When everything began to settle down and none of them were on the verge of dying anymore April still didn't have a job at Seattle Grace Mercy West. There weren't any other offers from hospitals waiting for her to choose. She was still a doctor, but by then she was doubting her abilities as a surgeon.

Going home was the right choice. She couldn't bear to see her peers excel at their fellowships while she stayed at her apartment wondering what to do next. Her suitcases were packed and boxes of her belongings were already shipped to Moline, Ohio. She quietly sat in the terminal at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport waiting for her flight to board.

It hurt to leave Jackson behind. She always had deep feelings for him, but she figured she would never have a chance with him because she wasn't the type of woman he went for. She felt relieved after she slept with him. Then reality sunk in and her relief turned into panic. She broke her promise to Jesus. She was supposed to wait until she got married… if there was a man out there willing to tolerate her obsessive compulsive and high strung personality.

April never quite understood why Jackson tolerated her as much as he did. He was the only friend she had who didn't hesitate to defend her when the other doctors teased her or treated her like crap. That was what she loved most about him because she knew he cared about her. They grew closer as friends after Charles and Reed died in the shooting. She thought maybe he would finally see her the way she wanted him to, but he dated Lexie instead.

She was happy that he was her first. She wouldn't have wanted anybody else to take her virginity. Still, she didn't think he was the man she would marry because he could do so much better, she thought. So every time he tried to talk about what happened in San Francisco she blew him off. Because she failed her boards, it was too painful for her to want to figure things out between them.

_"Now boarding for all passengers on United flight 134 to Cleveland, Ohio at gate N15."_

The flight attendant's announcement drew April out of her deep thoughts. Ticket in hand, she used her other hand to drag her carry on luggage to the line. She heard a familiar voice calling out her name and she turned around to see Jackson running towards her. "Jackson, what are you doing here?"

"You can't go," he said, panting as he bent over to catch his breath.

"What?"

"I said you can't go, April," he repeated himself. Jackson stood up straight and frowned at her. "You have to stay in Seattle. I'm not going to Tulane anymore and I can help you study for the boards-"

"Jackson, I don't even know if I still want to be a surgeon," she interrupted. "I honestly don't know what I want to do with my life anymore. I thought I had my whole life set in stone, but that's clearly not the case. I can't stay here."

"You're still a doctor. Work for a private practice or… or maybe I can convince Hunt to give you your job back."

April raised her hand as she shook her head. "I'm really messed up right now and I need to be away from Seattle. I can't think about what I want to do next while everyone else around me is moving on with their careers. I just can't do it."

"I'm your best friend. I'm here for you."

"Yeah, but how often will you actually be there for me? You'll be stuck at the hospital a lot, so what's the point?" April said, her eyes filling up with tears. "There's nothing here for me, Jackson. Don't you understand that? Give me one good reason why I should stay here. Just one reason."

_Because I love you,_ Jackson said in his mind. He opened his mouth to say it, but he hesitated. Did he actually mean it? He didn't want her to think he was saying it so she could stay. He wanted her to know that he meant it, but he wasn't even sure if he truly felt that way about her. She was his best friend and he always cared for her, but was it love?

_"Final boarding call for all passengers on United flight 134 to Cleveland, gate N15."_

April couldn't wait any longer and backed away from Jackson. "I'll call you when I'm home," she tearfully murmured. "Bye, Jackson."

Jackson watched April walk to her gate and disappear into the tunnel leading to the airplane. As the gate door closed, he bit his lower lip and softly sighed. "Your home's here." He felt incredibly defeated. He let her leave because he was a coward. He wasn't sure if their friendship would ever be the same again.

* * *

Waiting for an update became unbearable for Jackson. It had only been about 20 minutes since he found out April was in the hospital, but he already grew impatient. He was exhausted and the coffee barely helped. Sitting in the lobby with Mark in his street clothes, he couldn't stop jittering his leg. He was anxious, disturbed and worried about April.

Mark, still dressed in his scrubs, turned his head to look at Jackson. "Do you think somebody called her parents?"

"Crap, I didn't even think about that," Jackson said disappointedly. "I have their number in my phone. I should call them."

"Here, let me," Mark insisted as he held out his hand. "You sit tight and I'll handle it for you. You've had a long day and you need to try to relax." He noticed Alex approaching them and stood up. "And Karev can keep you company. So hand over your cell."

Jackson handed his cell phone to his mentor. After Mark walked away, Alex took his seat beside his roommate. "Well, uhh… I don't have an update on April, but thought I'd check on you. Doing alright, man?"

"I didn't know she was visiting. Did you know she was coming?"

"Nope. Haven't talked to her in maybe a month or whatever." Alex placed his hands on top of his knees and sighed. "I get that it's already been a crappy night for you for obvious reasons, but there's something you need to know. It's pretty damn important if you ask me."

"What?"

Alex slightly turned in his seat to face Jackson. "April was… pregnant." He stared as his roommate's eyes widened. "She was about 27 weeks and Addison was forced to deliver the baby. It's a boy. He's okay, though. He's in NICU right now and Arizona's watching him."

Jackson couldn't believe what he was hearing. In the back of his mind, he knew his quickie with April in the men's restroom was risky. They never used protection. "She… she never told me," he muttered. "After all of the times we talked she never said a word about it. I… umm… I'm a _dad_?"

"Yeah, sure. I mean, unless there's someone else-"

"Trust me. There isn't." Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. He rested his arms on top of his knees and placed his forehead against them.

Alex tried to comfort him by placing his hand against his back. "Dude, April will be okay. She'll uhh, annoy the hell out of God, so He will force her to stay down here with us. She was doing fine in the OR when I was in there."

Jackson remained silent for more than a minute. Despite finding Alex's joke about April being too annoying to be in heaven hilarious, he couldn't help but continue to worry. If she died, he would be alone with their son, who she didn't have a chance to meet. He wanted them to be a family no matter what. He sat up straight to look at Alex. "I want to see him. I want to see my son."

Alex grimaced. "Avery, maybe it's best if we wait until we know more about April-"

"I can't just sit here and do nothing!" he exclaimed as he jumped up from his seat. "If I still have to wait for an update, at least I'll be with my kid, so let me see him or do I have to physically force you to take me to the NICU?"

There was no way Alex was going to say no to Jackson at the risk of getting his ass kicked again. He wasn't in the mood to fight. "Fine. Follow me. Don't try anything sneaky, dude. You do remember I wrestled in college, right?"

Jackson raised his hands in front of his chest. "I promise. Nothing sneaky."

The two men walked side by side to the NICU. Arizona was inside writing in a chart when they entered the room wearing hospital gowns. "Karev, I thought you were going to just keep him company downstairs."

"It's his kid. Whatever," Alex replied and shrugged. "He wants to see him. The kid's vitals are stable, so it wouldn't hurt to let him have some father-son bonding time."

Arizona waved them over to the isolette crib she was standing in front of. "Avery, the good news is babies born at 27 weeks have a 90% chance of surviving. The bad news is some premature babies are at risk for learning disabilities and such, but we won't know that for a while. However, your son's looking good. The tubes are to help him breathe because his lungs aren't fully developed and to also feed him nutrients until he can eat with his mouth. We're also watching his body temperature because he's unable to regulate that on his own yet. He can't open his eyelids yet, but he could be able to do it in the next week or two."

Jackson looked down at the tiny human enclosed in the isolette crib. He was small, but a little more developed than Sofia when she first entered the world. "Can I be alone, please?"

"Of course," she answered. She walked out of the room pulling Alex along with her.

Jackson pulled a chair next to the crib and sat down. He stared at his son's tiny chest rising up and down, his tiny fingers and toes. His eyes were glossy from the tears forming as he reached into one of the holes and gently touched his baby's hand with his index finger. "Hey, little guy. I'm your dad," he softly said. "Stay strong in there, okay? You and your mother are both fighters, so don't give up in there."

He never really saw himself as the type of person who would want kids, but seeing his son quickly changed his mind. Even though April hid the pregnancy from him, he couldn't feel any anger towards her. She had to be visiting Seattle to tell him about their baby. It would've been a much better surprise in person than over the phone… if she hadn't gotten into a car accident. At least he would've been able to hold her and tell her everything would be alright.

* * *

Meredith entered the NICU to find Jackson leaning his head against the isolette crib and sleeping. One of his hands was inside with his finger resting on his baby's arm. The news about April pretty much spread around the hospital by then and Alex had already confirmed with their fellow surgeons that Jackson fathered her baby. Meredith always suspected something happened between those two before April left. The baby sealed the deal.

She approached the sleeping Plastics fellow and gently nudged him. "Jackson," she whispered. He stirred in his sleep before he lifted his head up and opened his eyes. She smiled and took a quick glimpse of the baby before she returned her gaze to Jackson. "Hey, April's out of surgery. Everything went great. I can take you to her room now."

Jackson stood up, rubbing his eyes. He looked down at his son and placed his palm on top of the isolette crib. "I'll be back, little guy. Just gonna check on your mommy."

Meredith led Jackson out of the room. "So, she's still asleep, but she should wake up any time. Derek was able to stop the bleeding in her brain. He'll explain it thoroughly with you when we get there."

When they arrived in front of April's room Mark was waiting for them in the hallway. He handed back Jackson's cell phone. "Her parents are taking the earliest flight out to Seattle."

"Why didn't you tell me April was pregnant?" Jackson sternly asked.

"Avery, I wasn't 100% positive you were the father. I'm sorry I forced you to talk about April, but I needed to be sure before I could tell you," he replied apologetically. "You were under enough stress. How's your little boy doing?"

"Fine, I guess. He's stable," he answered. Jackson peeked inside of April's room where Derek, Callie and Cristina were standing next to her bed. "Excuse me."

He walked into the room and stopped by the foot of her bed. Her head had a bandage wrapped around it and her left wrist was in a thick cast. She was given a nasal cannula for supplemental oxygen. There were a few cuts and bruises on her face, mostly on the left side. Ignoring the presence of the other doctors, he sat beside her bed and picked up her right hand. He kissed the back of her hand and frowned.

Derek cleared his throat. "Umm, Jackson… we have some things we need to talk to you about."

"I'm listening," he said as he stared at April's face while he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I suppose I'll go first," Cristina offered. "April has a pulmonary contusion, which should heal without any complications. She's nursing two fractured ribs, so be gentle with her when she wakes up."

"I was able to reset her ulna and I inserted some pins to keep it in place while it heals," Callie added. "Fortunately, the fracture narrowly missed her tendons, but she'll need PT after the cast is gone to regain her strength and normal range of motion."

"I drained out excess blood in her brain to decrease the intracranial pressure in her temporal lobe," Derek said and sighed. "However, I found minor damage to the hippocampus. It's possible she'll experience retrograde and anterograde amnesia. If that's the case, we won't know how severe it is until she wakes up. The hippocampus will heal with time, but how fast her memory recovers is questionable right now."

Jackson looked at Derek worriedly. "She'll be fine, right? She'll remember how to walk and talk?"

Derek nodded. "Yes. Her motor functioning shouldn't be affected, but I'll run a few tests after she wakes up. It's her memory we're concerned about. Do you have any questions?"

"No, but thank you. All of you. I can't thank you enough," he said, slightly smiling. "Do you mind leaving me alone with her for a bit?"

The three doctors began leaving April's room. Cristina walked around the bed and placed a hand on Jackson's shoulder. "You know, we have to come up with a new nickname for April since she's no longer the Virgin Mary."

"Right, Yang." Jackson smirked. He watched Cristina leave and close the door behind her. Despite being in a room with large windows where everybody could see them from outside even with the door closed, he appreciated the privacy he could get.

"April," he started as he gently stroked her cheek with his hand. "I shouldn't have let you get on that plane. I should've fought for you at the airport. Hell, maybe even before that." Jackson pressed the back of her hand against his own cheek. "Maybe you already knew, but we have a beautiful baby boy. He's still growing, but he's perfect. I'm already in love with him. And I love you. I love you, April. I've been in love with you and I need you in my life. When you wake up I'll tell you this all over again because you need to hear it. I can't let you go again."

* * *

Hours passed and Jackson remained in April's room overnight. He laid his head by her side and fell asleep, never waking up to nurses and his fellow surgeons walking in and out to check on his best friend. It was a little past 4 AM when he felt a movement beside him. He never let go of her hand and woke up to a soft squeeze. Quickly sitting up, he watched her eyes flutter open and smiled. "April?" He stood up and ran out into the hallway. "Somebody page Dr. Shepherd, please."

In a matter of a minute, Derek entered April's room after napping in an on-call room on the same floor. He stood by her bed, while Jackson waited behind him. "April, it's Dr. Shepherd." He picked her up right hand. "Can you squeeze my hand for me?" He moved on to her feet after she squeezed his hand. "Can you wiggle your toes for me?"

Jackson watched Derek run basic neurological tests on April anxiously. All he wanted to do was kiss her and tell her how much he loves her. He suspected she would panic over not telling them about their son, but he was prepared to assure her that he was thrilled about it. He wanted to be a father and raise their baby together.

Callie, Cristina and Owen joined them inside of the room, while Mark, Alex and Meredith stood by the doorway. Derek finished examining April and smiled at her. "Looks like your motor functions are working normally. That's good."

April grimaced after she tried to lift her head up. "What… what happened?"

"You were in a car accident. You have a skull fracture, so try not to make any sudden movements with your head. There was some bleeding in your brain, but I performed a temporal craniotomy and was able to drain it before any serious damage could occur," Derek explained. "Dr. Torres fixed your broken wrist and Dr. Yang took care of your fractured ribs, but you also have a pulmonary contusion. Also, Dr. Montgomery had to perform an emergency C-section and deliver your baby, so you have a few incisions healing. Just take it easy and relax. We're all willing to help you out until you can move on your own."

"A baby? What?" April stared at Derek confused. "I… I was pregnant? But I'm not with anybody and- and I haven't even- I'm supposed to start my internship at Mercy West Medical Center next week. I'm a surgical intern from Ohio."

All of the doctors were taken aback by April's response. Jackson cleared his throat and stood next to Derek. "April, you're at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. The two hospitals merged a few years ago. You already finished your residency."

April shook her head. "No, no! I haven't even started my residency, so how could I be done?" Her eyes scanned the room as all of the doctors stared at her concerned. "Where are my parents? Why aren't they here?"

"They're on their way. They'll be here soon," Jackson replied. He tried to hold her hand, but she moved it away. "April-"

"Who are you? I don't even know you," April snapped. "What the hell is going on?"

Jackson pulled Derek aside into the hallway. "She thinks she's a freakin' intern! Is this temporary?"

Derek sighed. "Her brain suffered injuries that need time to heal. It could take weeks or months, maybe years before she regains her full memory," he glumly said. He saw the anguish on Jackson's face and rested his hand on his shoulder. "The best thing we can do is surround her with familiar things. Show her pictures and videos. That could help her memory return faster."

"It could take _years_? We have a baby together and she has no idea!" Jackson angrily said as he placed his hands on his hips. "How can we raise a baby when she doesn't even realize she had one? I'm not putting our son up for adoption. He's my baby and I'm keeping him."

"Jackson, I'm not saying it _will_ take years for her memory to return. It's a possibility, but based on how her injuries weren't too severe the worst case scenario is months. How many months? I don't know. It varies from patient to patient."

Meredith joined the conversation. "She just woke up, Jackson. There's still swelling in her brain. We won't know how fast she'll recover until the swelling goes down. Derek warned you she could experience some amnesia."

"All the way back to our intern year? That's way too much," Jackson replied furiously. He pointed his finger at Derek. "You're supposed to fix her not break her even more!" He desperately wanted to hit somebody, but he couldn't. The next best thing was to pick up a plant sitting at the nurses' station and throw it against the wall, shattering the pot all over the floor.

Mark gently nudged Derek's elbow. "Don't take it personally. He has a right to be pissed, but not at you. I'll take care of him for ya," he insisted. He received a simple nod from him before he approached Jackson. "You need to cool it before you get banned from this hospital."

Meredith and Derek watched Mark lead Jackson down the hallway away from April's room. She looked at her husband, who frowned, and gave him a reassuring hug. "Sloan's right. Jackson didn't mean what he said. You did everything you could. You should go back in there and talk to April."

Derek nodded in agreement and returned to April's room. He noticed she was crying and stood by her bedside again. "April, I'm Dr. Shepherd. I'm the Head of Neurosurgery here at Seattle Grace Mercy West. We're going to take care of you. You're going to be fine."

"I still don't understand…" April managed to choke out. "What's wrong with me? I'm being told I-I already finished my residency a-and this Dr. Yang's telling me I'm not a v-virgin anymore…"

Derek shot a glare at Cristina, who casually shrugged at him. He looked at April again. "There's nothing wrong with you, okay? Your recent memories are just lost right now, but you'll eventually remember them again. Don't worry, April. Like I said before, you're going to be fine."

"Okay," she softly said.

Derek smiled, though in the back of his mind he hoped Jackson wasn't right about breaking her even more. He knew he did his best, but perhaps it might not have been good enough this time. Only time would tell.

* * *

**Chapter 3 will be up this weekend. It also marks Lexie's first appearance (yay!)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, folks! Again, thanks for the support. Here's chapter 3. A little shorter than the previous one, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!**

* * *

Mark took Jackson to the only place that could calm him down at the moment. They sat in front of Baby Avery-Kepner's isolette crib and watched him sleep in the NICU. Jackson had his hand inside of the crib again, gently rubbing his son's arm with his finger. Mark looked on as he remembered doing the same thing to Sofia.

"Any names in mind?" he asked his student. "The kid's gonna need a name soon."

"I haven't thought about that yet, but it doesn't feel right naming him without April's approval," Jackson answered. He frowned as he began running worst case scenarios in his mind. "What if she doesn't want him? Like, what if she came here to tell me she didn't want to keep him?"

"I don't think that was her intention," Mark insisted. "She doesn't seem like the type of person who would do that. She's great with kids. Sofia and Zola were comfortable around her when she babysat them. I think she wanted this baby."

"Why didn't she just tell me? I mean, it's a shock for sure, but it hurts that she held this in for as long as she did."

"Maybe she was scared. She was trying to figure out her life. Throwing a baby into the equation makes things more complicated," he suggested. "Anyway, you should probably apologize to Derek later. He did the best he could. Don't take this out on him."

Jackson sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I just lost it back there when April asked who I was," he murmured. "I'm her best friend and she doesn't even know who I am. I can't tell her I love her without her thinking I'm some lunatic."

Mark gently patted Jackson's back. "Have some patience. She'll come around." He paused for a few seconds. "I bet this kid will have your eyes. It's automatic for anybody who's an Avery."

Jackson softly laughed. "Maybe, but if you think I'll pamper him with stories about how being a surgeon is an Avery thing, you're wrong. He doesn't have to be a surgeon if he doesn't want to be. He'll be his own person." He quickly shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he'll want to be one, but April and I won't force it on him."

"Have you called your mom?"

"Oh, geez. Not yet," he groaned. "If I haven't called her yet, I bet somebody did. Probably freakin' Webber."

"So Webber screwed your mom, huh?" Mark chuckled, despite Jackson's glare. "When?"

"In San Francisco at the boards," he muttered. "Believe me. I'm traumatized for life."

"You took April's virginity, while Webber had sex with your mom in the same weekend. You Avery's are a piece of work," the Head of Plastics quipped.

"More like the same night."

"Even better," he said with a grin. Mark quickly wiped the grin off of his face as Jackson continued to glare at him. "Alright, alright. We won't talk about that anymore. So, gonna go home? I can stop by your apartment and get you some new clothes to change into if you want. And take a shower, so you don't stink up the place."

Jackson smiled and handed his keys to Mark. "That'd be great. I appreciate it."

Mark stood up from his seat. "You're probably starving too," he said, looking at his watch. "It's half past 4 AM. You should get something in the cafeteria. I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Thanks, Sloan." Jackson's eyes were focused on his son again after Mark left. He began thinking of names that he thought April would like. He wondered how long he could wait before he had to name their baby. He didn't want to wait too long, though. His son deserved to have a name. He would get through to April somehow.

* * *

Some hours had passed before April eventually cried herself to sleep. None of the doctors seemed to want to go home and opted to stay in on-call rooms. Even Cristina appeared concerned about April's well-being. It was almost 10 AM when Jackson quietly entered her room carrying his laptop, which he asked Mark to retrieve from his apartment at the last minute. Sitting on the chair next to her bed, he turned on his laptop and cringed when the greeting sound on the sign-in screen woke her up.

April opened her eyes and blinked a few times to clear her vision. She noticed Jackson smiling at her and furrowed her eyebrows. "It's you again… umm…"

"I'm Jackson," he said and held out his hand. "Jackson Avery."

"Avery," she slowly recited and raised her eyebrow as she shook his hand. "Like the Harper Avery Award?"

"Uhh, yeah. He's my grandfather," he sheepishly replied. "I try not to brag about that. I'm hoping to be known for being a good surgeon and not because of him."

"Oh, well then your secret's safe with me." April softly smiled at him. "So you're a surgeon too? What's your specialty?"

"Plastics. I'm a fellow here at Seattle Grace Mercy West."

"Why do you all keep combining those two names together? Nobody told me they merged hospitals. Am I still in the program after the merger?"

Jackson sighed and nodded. "You survived the merger. I promise." He turned his laptop around towards April. "I have some things to show you." He opened a photo album and the first picture was of the two of them with Reed and Charles. "This was taken during our intern year at Mercy West. It was on your 25th birthday."

"My birthday already passed?" April looked at Jackson puzzled. "How old am I right now?"

"You're 30. Also, today's October 12th, 2012."

April's eyes widened. "Oh, gosh! I've been in a coma for six years?!"

Jackson quickly shook his head. "No, no. That's not what happened. You were in a car accident yesterday. You're just experiencing some amnesia because you hit your head pretty badly. You had surgery to treat your TBI," he explained. He pointed at the picture. "That's us with Reed and Charles. The four of us were close friends since we started our residency at Mercy West. We all came to Seattle Grace during the merger. Reed was your best friend and Charles was mine."

"Where are they now?" she asked curiously.

Jackson slightly frowned. "They umm… they died," he sullenly said. "There was a shooter in this hospital when we were third year residents. Neither of them made it. You know Dr. Shepherd, the neurosurgeon with nice hair? He got shot and we were both in the OR helping him survive."

"Our best friends died?" April frowned and bit her lower lip. "So does that mean you and I are good friends too?"

Jackson switched to another picture of only the two of them. "We're best friends now. We've had each other's backs since the shooting because for a while we only had each other. The Seattle Grace doctors here didn't like us very much in the beginning of the merger," he said, then he showed her a picture of them with Catherine Avery at Joe's. "This is us with my mom, Catherine. She's a surgical urologist. You're one of her number one fans."

April stared at the picture. She rarely had close friends who were men and seeing her and Jackson in a picture with his mother forced her to suspect they were more than friends. "Are we umm… I don't know how to ask this without feeling embarrassed, but are we… dating?"

_I wish_, he thought. "No, though I wanted to date," he admitted. "But you went home to Ohio four months ago and at the time, I was afraid to tell you how I really felt about you."

"Why did I go home?"

Jackson was reluctant to tell April about them having sex and her failing her boards exam. He didn't want to overwhelm her too much with all of the information he was giving her. "Umm… how about we go through more pictures? Maybe something will catch your eye."

"Okay," she agreed. They skimmed through more photos, some including other doctors in the hospital and some more of the two of them. She couldn't help but softly giggle. "Are we seriously best friends? You were definitely not the type of person I hung out with in high school and college. Guys tend to find me incredibly annoying."

He smiled. "Yes, we're best friends. We understand each other and when we first met you didn't care that I'm an Avery. You saw me for me and I've always been grateful for that," he said and gestured his hand towards her. "And you, you've been a great friend. You always listened when I was having girl problems or something else that was bothering me. When people teased you I was the first person to defend you. We complement each other well."

She sighed. "I really wish I could remember our friendship, Jackson. You sound like a kind and honest man."

"We umm… have a baby together. A son, to be more specific."

"So it's true? I'm not a virgin?" April sadly asked. She rested her hands on her belly and winced when she pushed too hard on her incision. "Why did we- I mean, was it mutual or-"

"We trusted each other, so we went through with it." Jackson softly laughed and scratched the back of his head. "You said you wanted it to be special and it definitely was."

"But I wanted to stay a virgin until my wedding night," she muttered.

"I know," he said dejectedly. "Our baby had to be delivered early yesterday. You were 27 weeks pregnant. He's doing well in the NICU, but he'll be there for a while."

April nodded. "What's his name?"

Jackson slightly grimaced. "He doesn't have one yet. I thought maybe we could pick a name together."

Before she could respond, Kevin entered the room with a chart. "Hey, April. I'm Dr. Banks. I'm a Trauma fellow here at Seattle Grace," he introduced himself. "I'm just going to check up on a few things and I'll be on my way."

April smiled at him. "Sure. No problem."

Kevin took a quick glimpse of Jackson before he looked back at April's monitors. "How's the kid, Jackson?"

"He's great," he said, sounding somewhat bitter. Jackson held a small grudge against Kevin ever since he harassed April and punched him in San Francisco. He thought he'd never see him again until he showed up at SGMW and Alex invited him to move in with them at the apartment. A part of him resented Kevin because he took April's old bedroom and the apartment was messier without her to clean up after them.

"Where'd you do your residency, Dr. Banks?" April asked intrigued.

"Case Western Reserve," he replied and smiled at her. "You can call me Kevin. Jackson and I are roommates, so we're cool. Any friend of Jackson's is a friend of mine."

"Well, that's sweet," she chirped.

Kevin motioned his arm towards Jackson. "You and Jackson used to live together with Alex Karev before you moved out. It's pretty much a frat pad at the apartment now."

Jackson pointed at himself. "Frat pad for them, basically. Not me," he said defensively. "Alex brings home a new woman every night. You used to get on his ass about that because they were skanky."

April laughed. "I find it hard to believe that I lived with two men. That's gross."

"You were completely fine with it. Actually, it was your idea to ask Alex to move in with us. I was opposed to it, but you insisted on it because you really wanted the apartment you found," Jackson said with a smirk on his face. "A washer-dryer and hardwood floors. You had to have it."

"And let me guess, I was the one who did all of the cooking and cleaning?" April quipped.

"You voluntarily wanted to," Jackson added and laughed.

Kevin finished checking up on April. "Everything looks good. Are you hungry, April? I could run to the cafeteria and grab something for you," he offered and grinned. "It'd be my pleasure, to be honest. A nice lookin' woman like you deserves the best treatment."

Was this douche trying to make a move on April? Jackson wouldn't have any of it. Kevin turned out to be a good guy when he wasn't drunk, but his best friend was clearly off-limits. "Actually, you know what? There's this café just around the corner. They have this breakfast sandwich that you love," he chimed in. "I can go ahead and get that for you because my shift's been over since last night. Kevin here has other patients to check up on."

April sensed she was blushing as Jackson worked his charm with his eyes and smile. She couldn't deny the fact that he was a gorgeous man. "That would be nice, Jackson. Thank you," she said, then she looked at Kevin. "And thank you too, but maybe next time."

"No problem," Kevin replied and walked out of the room with Jackson. He playfully nudged his roommate and smirked. "What the hell was that? I was just trying to offer some help."

"I got it. Alright, buddy?" Jackson said defensively. He stopped Kevin in the hallway when they were far enough from April's room. "If you even try to flirt with April, _I'll_ be the one punching your nose this time around." He flashed a cheesy grin before he left him alone in the hallway.

* * *

After satisfying April's hunger with her favorite breakfast sandwich, Jackson left the hospital to pick up her parents from the airport. Partially sitting up without reopening her incision on her belly, she watched TV alone in her room. Somebody standing in the doorway caught her attention and she curiously stared at the brunette woman holding two walking crutches for support.

It was Lexie. Since her two hip replacements and lower leg amputation her road to recovery was slow and frustrating. Relearning how to walk on a prosthetic leg and metal hip joints were more difficult than she anticipated. The walking crutches helped support her weight and made moving around faster than without them. She occasionally experienced pain in her good knee to due constantly leaning her weight on her right side, which Callie told her to stop doing.

"Hey, can I come in?" she asked with a smile.

"Sure."

Lexie had a visible limp in her stride, but it had gotten smoother over the past couple of months. She gingerly sat down beside April's bed and set her crutches against the armrest of her chair. "I'm Lexie Grey. My sister's Meredith," she said.

"Oh, yes. I've seen Meredith a couple of times." April's eyes wandered off to Lexie's crutches. "Umm… maybe it's none of my business, but what happened to you?"

"There was a plane crash in May. A bunch of us were on a private plane to Boise to separate conjoined twins, but we never made it there," she explained. "Part of the plane crushed my pelvis and my legs. I had to have a double hip replacement and my lower left leg was amputated. Dr. Torres was able to save my right leg, thank God."

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry," April replied sympathetically. "So umm… you have a prosthetic leg now."

Lexie lifted her left pant leg to reveal her prosthetic leg. "Titanium. The best of the best. Dr. Robbins has the same exact type, but her leg's up to her thigh," she added and dropped her pant leg. "I also have titanium hip joints. I'm almost half robot basically. My photographic memory definitely screams robot powers."

April pointed at the diamond ring on Lexie's finger. "You're engaged?"

"I am," she said as she smiled at her engagement ring. "To Mark Sloan."

"Sloan… I think he's the one who made a bunch of sex jokes earlier in my room. No offense, but he looks kind of… old."

Lexie softly chuckled. "I've heard that before. Meredith initially didn't want me to date him because he was a manwhore, but Mark's the love of my life. He's my soulmate. We had a few break ups here and there, but we're past that. I'm marrying him in July."

"Well, congratulations," April said and grinned. "If you're happy, then good for you. Are you a surgeon too? It seems everybody who's been in here are surgeons."

"I am- well, I w_as_ a surgical resident in this hospital, but because of the crash I'm taking the year off and returning for my fifth year next August," Lexie replied. "I was hoping to be Chief Resident, but I'm not so sure they'll consider me because it's a lot of work. I'm sure they won't want me overworking myself. You were Chief Resident, April."

"Really?" April beamed. It was good to know she bossed around her coworkers. "Was I great?"

"Uhh, no. Not really," Lexie said with a grimace, causing April's face to drop. "But seriously, Chief Resident's more of a resume boost than anything else. It's a crappy job. It's hard to get respect from anybody, especially when you're too nice to be mean. You held your own, though, which helped with your confidence."

April scrunched her nose as she nodded. "I suppose so." She paused for a moment. "Tell me about Jackson. He's been really sweet since this morning. He bought me what was apparently my favorite breakfast sandwich from this café and he says we're best friends, but I don't buy it."

Lexie raised her eyebrow curiously. "Why not?"

April laughed and pointed at herself. "I mean, c'mon. The man is gorgeous and me? I'm average and boring. Why would a guy like him be friends with me? No man who looked like _that_ ever noticed me anywhere."

Lexie smirked at her. "Honestly, most of us never got your friendship, but I think it's because you saw him as a person and not as a sex symbol like a lot of women do. He's into down to earth people. He and I dated in the past, but in the back of my mind I knew Mark was always the one for me," she said and pointed at April. "And Jackson, the guy's like in love with you."

"Is he?" she asked unconvinced.

"He's never actually said it, but I can tell he is. It was obvious his heart broke when you moved back to Ohio. I could see it in his face," she recalled. "He didn't want to talk about you with anybody because I think that made him miss you even more. It just took him a while to realize he was in love with his best friend."

April wasn't sure what to say. The gorgeous god-like man with the prettiest eyes she had ever seen was in love with _her_? She thought that could only happen if she lived in a fairy tale story. The only men she ever attracted were nerds who wore pocket protectors and spent their days sitting in front of their computers playing _World of Warcraft._ The handsome, athletic men passed her by as if she were invisible.

"We have a baby together," she whispered. "I want this baby, right?"

"Yes. Yes, you do and so does Jackson," Lexie answered confidently. "He's willing to throw himself in front of a speeding train for you. You two care about each other a lot. He claims he doesn't believe in soulmates, but you're his and he's yours. It wouldn't surprise me if you've been in love with him for years and he was completely clueless about it until recently."

"Lexie, I want you to be honest with me," she demanded. "Why did I go home to Ohio? I let it slide when Jackson deflected the question, but now it's killing me. What happened that pushed me away from Seattle?"

Lexie took a deep breath and exhaled. "You, Jackson, Meredith, Cristina and Alex took your boards in San Francisco in April, but you didn't pass. All of your offers for fellowships were pulled, including Seattle Grace, so you chose to go home to figure out what to do next," she explained. "Jackson caught you at the airport just in time. He wanted you to stay, but you chose not to."

"I failed my boards?" April asked surprised. "I _failed_? I'm a failure?!"

"You're not a failure, April. Not everybody gets lucky on their first try," she assured her. "Anyway, Jackson – along with the rest of us – didn't know you were pregnant until you arrived yesterday, let alone know you weren't a virgin anymore. Well, Jackson did because he was there when it happened." Lexie forced a laugh when April slightly glared at her. "We don't want to jump to conclusions, but we all think you were in town to tell him. If you could remember why you came back-"

"I don't think I want to remember." April folded her arms. "It seems like my life turned into crap after I failed my boards. And there was a plane crash that nearly killed you? I apparently was a crappy Chief Resident too. Why would I want to remember that? That's depressing. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Umm… during the merger you got fired because you missed a step during an examination and killed a patient." Lexie waved her arms when April's mouth dropped open. "But- but Dr. Shepherd rehired you because he wanted to give you a second chance. You just made a small mistake."

"Yeah, and I killed a patient!" she exclaimed. "No wonder I failed my boards. I can't hack it as a surgeon!"

Lexie grimaced and shook her head. "No, that's not true, April! Ah, shit. I'm so sorry, but you told me to be honest with you."

"Not _that_ honest!" April looked up when she saw her parents standing in the doorway. "Oh, thank goodness. Somebody I recognize is here."

Karen Kepner quickly approached her daughter with Joe Kepner following her from behind. "April, sweetie. What's the matter? Why do you look so upset?"

Jackson stood outside as Lexie rushed out of the room with her walking crutches. "What the hell did you say to her, Lex?"

"A little too much, I guess." Lexie turned around to look at April, who was ranting to her parents about how she was a failure to society. "Umm, good luck cheering her up, Jackson."

Jackson groaned as Lexie walked past him, then he entered the room where he was stopped by Joe. Big Joe. While Jackson was a tall man, April's father was taller. Broad shoulders, large biceps. He looked like a giant standing in front of him. "Hey, what the-"

"You better get out of here, boy. If I had known from the start that it was you who got my daughter pregnant, I would've clocked you in the face the moment we met you in the airport," Joe said in a threatening tone.

"Mr. Kepner, I didn't even know she-"

Joe threw a mean right hook into Jackson's face before he could finish explaining himself. He landed on the floor hard on his back and was knocked out cold.

* * *

**Poor Jackson... Chapter 4 will be up on Wednesday :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy Hump Day! ;D**

**Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter! Here's chapter 4. Enjoy!**

* * *

Jackson slowly woke up to the touch of an ice pack over his left eye. He opened his other eye and realized he was lying on the couch in the attendings lounge. He lifted his head, but dropped it back onto the pillow when it throbbed. It felt as if a jackhammer was trying to break into his skull.

"Oh, good. You're awake." Alex was eating his lunch with his legs propped up on the small dining table. "Hunt told me to watch you during my lunch break. Who knew Kepner's dad was such a badass?"

"It feels like my face collided with a brick wall," he groaned. Jackson tentatively sat up on the couch and held the ice pack against the back of his head. "Of course April's dad had to be one of those scary, overprotective fathers. Damn, the man had to have been a boxer in his past life."

"For what it's worth, nothing's broken. You just have a nice shiner to show off," he added.

Jackson winced as his head continued to throb. He was certain he had a concussion. "Anything happen to Joe?"

Alex nodded and chuckled. "Sloan showed up and got into a tussle with him. Didn't appreciate him ruining your pretty boy face. Hunt and Shepherd broke up the fight. Security reprimanded April's dad."

"Is April okay?"

"I guess so. Haven't actually checked up on her, but last I heard Kevin was keeping her company."

"You know that bastard tried to flirt with April earlier?" Jackson said annoyed. "I warned him I'll kick his ass if he makes a move on her. She punched him at the boards."

"What?" Alex asked excitedly. "Kepner punched a dude?"

"He confronted her when we were at the bar eating dinner, said some stupid shit about her sleeping her way to get a job offer. So she punched him," Jackson explained and grinned. "It was pretty hot, I'll admit that."

"Thatta girl, April," he proudly said. Alex smirked at Jackson. "When did you two start screwing each other?"

"You make it sound like we were at it like rabbits," he said defensively. "We only had sex twice, both times in San Francisco. For the record, she made the first move, but you know what? I'm glad. It helped me realize I care about her more than I thought."

Alex slightly cringed. "This isn't gonna turn into one of those sappy conversations, is it? I don't do the sappy crap. Usually, that's what April's for, but she probably thinks you're an asshole right now. Her parents obviously do. If I were you, I'd stay away from her room for a couple of days until things cool down. It's not like she's going anywhere any time soon."

Jackson nodded in agreement. "So, how's my little guy?"

"Well, I haven't gotten any pages from NICU or Robbins, which means he's doing alright. We can check up on him later when the room stops spinning for you," he suggested. "What are you naming him?"

"I don't know, but I sure as hell won't be naming him Joseph. April can argue all she wants, but that name's out of the question." Jackson chuckled. "Hell, I'd name him Alex before I name him after his scary ass grandfather."

"Hey, I'm flattered, but Alex Avery-Kepner or whatever his last name will be sounds like we all got married to each other," Alex playfully pointed his sandwich at his roommate. "I don't want my name associated with a Kepner... or an Avery, no offense."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Relax. I never said I _would_ name him Alex."

Alex slyly grinned at Jackson. "October? April was named after the month she was born in, so why not keep the tradition going?"

"We are not naming our kid October. That's ridiculous," he scoffed. "This baby name thing is so damn hard. I should just throw a bunch of names in a hat and pull one out. That's fair, right?"

"You gotta pick a name that you think will stick. If you're looking at your son and he doesn't feel like a Jacob, then it's a bust. In fact, stay away from anything _Twilight_, _Harry Potter_ and _The Hunger Games_. Don't name your kid after fruits, vegetables, cities or states either," he added. "Seriously, get Lexie to help you. She can probably come up with good names."

"Middle name has to be good too. I still haven't forgiven my parents for giving me a stupid middle name."

"Oh, yeah?" the Pediatrics fellow asked intrigued. "What's your middle name?"

Jackson grimaced. "Off the record?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"It's…" Jackson covered his face with his hand and groaned. "Egbert."

"Egbert?!" Alex snorted. "Jackson Egbert Avery? Isn't Egbert a cartoon or something? Were your parents high when they named you?"

"Hey, Jackson's a good name. It's not my fault my great-great grandfather's name was Egbert. All of the Avery boys have Egbert as their middle name, but I'm breaking that tradition," he said while he folded his arms. "Anyway, April doesn't know that. When we were residents I told her my middle name was Edward, so don't you dare bring this up with anybody, especially her."

Alex snickered. "I won't tell anyone… Egbert." He laughed when Jackson glared at him. "Sorry, but you kind of asked for it."

* * *

Meredith entered April's room where the redhead was having a conversation with her mother. "Don't mind me. I'm just going to change your dressings, April." She closed the blinds to give them privacy. "Have you been experiencing any discomfort anywhere?"

"Umm… my head kind of hurts, but that's normal, right? The swelling's still going down?" April asked concerned.

"Yes and I'm sorry we can't give you medication for the pain yet. We don't want to risk your brain bleeding again," Meredith advised. She stood next to her bed and began unwrapping the dressing around her head. "Have you seen any pictures of your son yet?"

"No, she hasn't and that won't be necessary," Karen answered for her. "We've already discussed adoption with April and it's the right choice for her and the baby."

Meredith raised her eyebrow curiously at April. "Don't you think you should talk to Jackson about this? He wants to keep the baby as far as I know," she questioned and cleaned up the dry blood off of April's incision.

"That was the point of her trip to Seattle. She planned on telling Jackson that she wanted to put him up for adoption."

"I'm asking _April_," she harshly replied. Meredith had trouble trusting Mrs. Kepner. She suspected she was brainwashing April into thinking she didn't want the baby at all. "April?"

April nervously bit her lower lip. "Well… it wouldn't be fair to do this without talking to him," she softly said. "And umm, he seems like a really thoughtful guy. I think we could be good parents-"

"April, you need to focus on studying for your boards. How can you study with a crying baby in the room? You already failed your boards once and failing again isn't an option," Karen scolded. "Your career's already behind everyone else's as it is."

Meredith finished replacing the dressing on April's head, then she looked at Karen. "Do you mind stepping out of the room for a few minutes? I have to expose April's body to clean her other incisions and I'm sure she'd be more comfortable if you weren't here staring at them."

Karen appeared appalled by Meredith's demand, but April nodded in agreement. "Please, Mom?"

Meredith smiled to herself when Karen left the room. She adjusted April's gown to replace the other dressings. "April, I know your memory's not quite there yet, but is adoption what you really want?"

"No… it's not." April frowned. "I love kids. I've always wanted to be a mom, but my mom's right. How can I study and retake my boards with a baby to take care of? I'll be devoting most of my time to the baby."

"Jackson will be there to help you out and a lot of us at this hospital don't mind watching each other's kids. In fact, you babysat my daughter Zola all the time," she recalled. "Zola loved you. I think you were her favorite babysitter after her Aunt Lexie."

April smiled. "Maybe I should just become a professional nanny."

"No. You're a surgeon," Meredith reassured her. She applied anti-bacterial lube on April's chest incision before she added a new dressing. "Anyway, Jackson's in love with that baby. You can't take him away and ship him off to someone else."

"Is he okay? My dad shouldn't have hit him. He's always been overprotective when it comes to men."

"Jackson will be fine. Don't worry," she insisted. Meredith moved on to April's biggest incision from her C-section. "You're lucky you can get pregnant. My uterus hates me. During the hospital shooting, I had a miscarriage. You were there when it happened."

"That must have been an awful day," April murmured. "Jackson told me… umm, Dr. Shepherd got shot. He's your husband, right?" She watched Meredith nod. "And he also said Reed and Charles were our best friends and… they died that day. Did a lot of people die?"

Meredith nodded sadly. "Yes, a lot died."

"Did people like me here?" April softly laughed. "I heard I sucked as Chief Resident. It wouldn't be surprising if people found me annoying. I can be overbearing sometimes. I'm always playing by the rules."

"Let's just say people gave you a hard time because none of us like listening to authority," she replied. Meredith smiled at April. "Look at it this way, I liked you enough that I let you live in my house with Derek, Lexie, Alex and Jackson after the shooting. We all have each other's backs. We're like a family even though we bitch at each other a lot."

"I suppose I'm the kid everybody picks on then," she joked. "Every family has one. My sisters picked on me a lot growing up because I was a perfectionist."

"That's not surprising, to say the least." Meredith smirked and finished replacing April's dressings. "Okay, all done for the day." She walked towards the door, then she turned around to look at her. "And if you want my opinion, you should wait a bit longer before you jump into adoption. Your memory will return, so just wait first."

April watched Meredith leave her room and sighed. Deciding what to do with the baby would be a lot easier if she could remember what she initially wanted to do before the accident.

* * *

Jackson spent time in the NICU with his son since he didn't have anything better to do. Owen gave him the weekend off from work to figure out the situation with April, but he wasn't ready to face her yet. He feared running into Big Joe and receiving another black eye.

He leaned forward close to the isolette crib and gently rubbed the top of his son's head with his thumb. "We need a name for you, little guy. I know it hasn't been a full 24 hours since you were born, but I'm already tired of not being able to call you by a name," he complained. "All I know is you are definitely not getting Egbert as a middle name."

Lexie entered the room and quietly took a seat next to Jackson. "Hey," she whispered. "I thought I'd stop by for a bit. I haven't seen the baby yet." She smiled as she stared at the tiny human. "He looks peaceful in there."

"Yeah, and probably thinking his parents already suck for not giving him a name," he quipped.

She playfully nudged him. "He's not thinking that. You don't have any ideas yet?"

"Well, I have one. It might sound kind of cheesy, but my mother named me Jackson because she listened to Michael Jackson a lot when she was pregnant with me. So I thought about naming him after another famous Michael I idolized growing up," he explained. Jackson sheepishly grinned at Lexie. "Jordan."

"Jordan. That's a cute idea," she said. "I like it."

"I do too," Jackson agreed. He smiled at his baby boy. "He feels like a Jordan to me. Jordan some middle name Avery-Kepner… or just Avery. I don't know what April wants to do with the last name."

Lexie dismissively waved her hand. "Worry about that part later. At least he has a name now." She sighed. "I'm sorry for getting you in trouble with April's parents. She asked me to be honest, so I told her what she probably didn't want to hear."

Jackson shook his head. "Nah, it's not your fault. I'd rather she know the truth than be told a bunch of lies. We're supposed to be helping her regain her memory, so you did the right thing." He decided to change the subject. "How are you doing? Sore?"

"Not today. I'm more comfortable now. Pretty soon I'll be graduating to a cane like Arizona, but I think that'll just make me look like an old lady," she giggled. "Why can't they give me a scooter like hers? Is it because I'm not working at the hospital right now?"

"To be honest, a scooter makes you look more like an old lady than a cane does," he replied with a grin. "Arizona sometimes gets road rage on that thing. You're better off without one."

"I do not get road rage. People just don't know how to move out of the way," Arizona chimed in after entering the room and overhearing their conversation. She flashed her perky smile as she approached them. "How are we doing in here?"

"Doing great. I named him Jordan," Jackson announced. "Well, pending April's approval, but that's what I'm going with until then."

Arizona nodded in approval. "Nice name. Do you want to hold him?"

"Can I?" he asked surprised.

"Yes. Just be very gentle with him," she advised. Arizona carefully removed Jordan from the isolette crib without messing with his tubes and wrapped him in a blanket. She gently set him in Jackson's arms and smiled. "Don't be nervous. You'll be fine."

Jackson couldn't stop smiling as he held Jordan in his arms. He removed his cell phone from his pocket and handed it to Lexie. "Could you take a picture of us, Lex?"

"Sure." Lexie aimed his cell phone at the two Avery's. "Smile, Jackson." She took a picture of them, then she grinned. "Aww, this is so adorable. You should send this to your mom."

"And give her a heart attack? She doesn't know yet," Jackson replied with a smirk. "If she hasn't called me to nag my head off, she for sure hasn't found out about any of this. I'll call her tomorrow. Anyway, thanks."

"No problem." She set his cell phone aside. "You're a dad now. That's so great. You'll be amazing, Jackson. You and April will be good parents."

Jackson slowly nodded and continued to smile. "I always knew April would be a good mom. I never thought I'd be a good parent, but Jordan's really changing my mind about that."

* * *

Visiting hours were over, so April's parents left for their hotel. She had trouble sleeping, unable to find a comfortable position without tearing open her incisions. She watched nurses pass by her room. It was late, so there wasn't much activity happening outside.

Jackson appeared at the doorway, slightly smiling when he noticed April was awake. "Hey, can I come in?"

"Yes, of course," April said and grimaced at the sight of his large black eye. "Are you okay? I'm sorry about my dad. I wasn't expecting him to punch you. He's never done something like that before."

"It's fine. I'm alright." He sat beside her bed. "I'm actually gonna go home to get some sleep, but I wanted to stop by to see how you were doing. Lexie didn't mean to upset you. She was only trying to help you remember some stuff."

"I understand. I'm just not used to failing. I've never failed anything in my life," she muttered. "Until I started my residency, I guess. I can't be a perfectionist forever, huh?"

Jackson shook his head. "There's no such thing as perfect, especially in surgery." He gestured his hand towards her. "We spoke on the phone two weeks ago. You told me you decided to retake your boards in June. I couldn't be happier when you told me. Although… you kept your pregnancy a secret during the many times we talked."

"Whatever the reason is, I'm really sorry. It was selfish of me to do that no matter what the circumstance was," April said with a frown. She fidgeted with the edge of her blanket. "Is it true? Are you in love with me?"

"Who told you that?" he asked, raising both of his eyebrows.

"Lexie. I don't think she would lie to me about that."

Jackson cleared his throat and sighed. "Yeah. I'm in love with you," he softly said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I was ready to tell you after you woke up, but… the memory loss… it wasn't appropriate because you didn't know who I was. I can't tell you I love you when you can't say it back."

April sighed. "I'm sorry, Jackson."

"Stop apologizing. This isn't your fault." Jackson opened the picture of him and Jordan on his cell phone. He held it up in front of April. "This is our son. I named him Jordan. I like the name, but if you don't we can change it."

"No. I like it. Jordan's fine," she assured him. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at the picture. "That's our baby. Is he… is he doing well?"

"He is. He's healthy. The machines are to help him breathe until his lungs are fully developed and he can't eat with his mouth yet, so they're feeding him intravenously," he explained. Jackson watched April smile as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I want to keep him."

April looked at Jackson and nodded. "We should. My parents want me to give him up for adoption, but I don't feel right about doing that," she admitted. "So, umm… we were roommates before, so we should move in together again for Jordan."

"Are you okay with that?" he asked concerned.

"Well, yeah. How else are we supposed to raise him together?" she teased.

Jackson softly chuckled. "I'm just making sure. I have the weekend off, so I can start looking for a place to live. Our current apartment's full, but I could always kick Alex and Kevin out instead. I personally love our apartment, though it's messier without you around."

"No need to rush. Dr. Shepherd's keeping me here for another week or two and Jordan will most likely be in the NICU for at least a month."

"I know, but we need a crib, a changing station, a complete nursery for him before he's discharged." Jackson cringed. "Damn, I never thought about how much work there is to do."

April giggled. "Jackson, relax. We'll be fine. Let's take it one step at a time."

Jackson stood up. "I should go. We both need some sleep." He smiled at her. "I'll be back in the morning, but uhh… not when your parents around. That wouldn't be a good idea."

April laughed. "Right. Oh, and thank you for showing me the picture of Jordan. My mom doesn't think I should see him at all."

"He's our son. There's no way I'd keep him hidden from you," he assured her. Jackson bent over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, April."

"Goodnight." April smiled as Jackson left her room, then she frowned. If she had any deep feelings for him before the car accident, she could understand why. He was thoughtful, caring and he loved her. She had never been loved by a man before. She did feel awful about not being able to return the love. Despite how kind he had been to her since she woke up, he was still a complete stranger to her.

* * *

**Baby has a name! And I always pictured Jackson having some cheesy middle name, lol. So, these four chapters covered the first two days of the story, but there will be a small time jump in the next one. Chapter 5 will be up on Saturday (Mama Avery comes to town!)**

**Can't believe Grey's is back tomorrow! Hoping for lots of Japril cuteness this season :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's another chapter for you all! That premiere was... *sigh* but I do think we're in for some awkwardness for Japril in 9x03 (which seems to focus on them based on the synopsis for this episode!). I'm hoping that awkwardness between them will still be cute in a way. Poor Jackson needs a shoulder to lean on. And that pig's name! Cute. Anyway, here's chapter 5. I jumped to a week later to move the story along. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

A little more than a week had passed since the accident. April's injuries were healing without any setbacks, except her memory hadn't changed. The doctors worked together to help her remember what she had forgotten. Alex reminisced about their trauma certification lab and how psycho, yet impressive she was. Meredith brought up the time at Joe's when she shut them up after they made fun of her for being a virgin. Cristina talked about her virgin superpowers and how she evaded getting shot by Gary Clark by telling him information about herself because she learned it on _Oprah_. Callie recalled the time she and the other residents snuck her out of her room to see Sofia in the NICU.

Jackson, of course, had the most to talk about since he knew her the longest. When her parents left the hospital to have lunch he spent time with her telling her stories about their Mercy West days. Like the time during their intern year when Charles accidentally elbowed and broke her nose trying to catch a foul ball at a Mariners game. She needed plastic surgery to fix it. He mentioned the four of them getting drunk on Christmas at her and Reed's apartment because none of them could go home in their first year as residents. He didn't hesitate to tell her about kicking Alex's ass after he tried to have sex with her in an on-call room, which she seemed embarrassed about. She laughed hysterically when he told her about her bar fight with Kevin the night before their boards.

It was nice hearing all of the stories from her peers, but she felt awkward not being able to remember any of them. As hard as she tried, nothing stuck out to her. It frustrated her, but Jackson would erase that frustration with new pictures of Jordan each day. He had already grown a little bigger in a week, which was encouraging. The best day was when he showed her a video of Jordan opening his eyes and blinking. Addison wanted April to wait another week before she could fully sit up and walk around, so she had to rely on Jackson and the others to update her on Jordan.

Catherine Avery scheduled a visit to Seattle for the weekend to finally meet her grandson. Jackson told her everything on the phone, but she was busy lecturing at three different Ivy League schools for the week and had to wait until the weekend to come. To avoid growing nervous about her visit, he focused on work and surgeries. Spending time in the NICU with Jordan helped too.

Jackson set his lunch tray on the table as he joined Meredith, Cristina and Alex in the cafeteria. He appreciated the fact that they were all making an effort to help April even though they weren't the nicest to her in the past.

"So Pretty Boy, when's Mama Avery coming? Will she be bringing your magic pencil too?" Cristina teased.

"Her flight lands in a couple of hours and the magic pencil is dead," Jackson said, rolling his eyes. "My proctor stepped on it at the boards, but I passed without it, so whatever."

"How'd she take the news?" Meredith asked.

"Better than I expected. She seems to be more worried about April than me knocking her up," he answered before he took a bite out of his sandwich. "At least she's not nagging me to death. Jordan will distract her from doing that."

Alex raised his eyebrow at Jackson. "Pick a middle name for him yet?"

Jackson shook his head. "No. I thought it'd be fair to April if she chose it. I already told her Joseph was out of the question, so she's still trying to decide on that."

"As long as it isn't Egbert," Alex mumbled with a mouthful of food. He winced after Jackson kicked his shin. "Dude!"

"Who's Egbert?" Meredith asked curiously.

"Is Jackson's middle name Egbert?" Cristina grinned when Jackson avoided eye contact with everybody. "Oh my God, it is! Ha! Egbert." She shared a laugh with Meredith and Alex. "That's just sad. Were your parents high?"

Alex chuckled. "Heh, that's what I said."

Jackson groaned. "For your information, it's a longtime family name. Every Avery boy since my great-great grandfather's existence has Egbert for a middle name." He leaned back against his seat and folded his arms as the threesome laughed again. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, but I am _not_ passing it down to Jordan."

Meredith stopped laughing and smiled. "Just be thankful it's not your first name. That would've been pitiful."

"Tell me about it," he muttered. He glared at Alex. "That's the last time I tell you anything personal."

Richard Webber strolled through the cafeteria and stopped at the foursome's table. He placed a hand on Jackson's shoulder and smiled. "Heard your mother's flying in today. It'll be nice catching up with her later."

Jackson scowled as Richard left their table. "Ugh, sick."

"What is?" Meredith questioned.

Jackson sighed. "Nothing." He stood up and picked up his tray. "I'm gonna finish my lunch in April's room. I'll see you guys later." He left the cafeteria after his coworkers lazily said their goodbyes.

April was moved into a new room, one that was more private after her status was no longer considered critical. Her face lit up when Jackson walked inside. "Oh, good. Some company. My parents left ten minutes ago."

"That's a relief," he said before he sat beside her bed. "Are you hungry? I've got a fruit bowl you can have."

"Sure. That'd be great. Thank you," she shyly said. April retrieved the fruit bowl and a plastic fork from Jackson. She smiled as she ate a piece of cantaloupe. "Your eye's looking better."

"I think it's a nice looking battle wound," he grinned.

April smirked. "You look nicer without the battle wound." She suddenly squeaked. "Oh! I almost forgot. I came up with a middle name for Jordan this morning. What do you think of Charles? He was your best friend and all. It seems fitting."

Jackson smiled. "Sounds good to me."

April nodded. "Jordan Charles Avery. I like the sound of that."

"We're not doing the Avery-Kepner thing? Are you sure?"

"I'm not really a fan of hyphenated names," she replied and shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe I'll be an Avery one day too." April froze as her eyes widened. "Oh, gosh. I said that out loud didn't I?"

"I don't have a problem with that," he confessed.

April blushed when his charming smile took over. It was difficult to resist that pretty boy smile. She looked down at her fruit bowl as she bit her lower lip. "How do you do that?"

Jackson raised his eyebrow. "Do what?"

"Make people melt with that smile of yours," she giggled. "Do you use that smile to get your way?"

"Sometimes, but I learned not to do it when I'm working. Unprofessional," he added.

"You're working right now."

"Actually, I'm on my lunch break." Jackson smirked. He set his tray aside and stood up. He leaned close to April, smiling at her and trying to get her eyes to look into his. "And you're the mother of my kid. There's nothing unprofessional about flirting a bit with you."

April looked up and realized their faces were merely inches apart. She took a deep breath as he moved closer, then she picked up a piece of watermelon with her fork and stuffed it into his mouth. "If you wanted some fruit, you could've just asked me," she quipped. "Flirting isn't necessary."

Jackson laughed as he chewed the watermelon. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's sneaky." He sat down in his seat and watched April eat more fruit. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"Jackson, stop." April shook her head and shyly smiled. "You don't have to say things like that to win points. You know I already like you, right?"

"That's good to know, but I don't think you hear it enough."

"That's because nobody notices me."

"Those guys are blind," he scoffed. "Besides, I prefer it that way. I want to be the only guy who notices you the way I do. Any other guy who sees you the same way will get their ass kicked."

"Adorable and violent. I'm not sure I like that combination," she teased.

Jackson raised his hands in front of his chest and chuckled. "I'm only violent if I'm provoked. I promise."

"I believe you." After April finished her fruit bowl, she handed the empty bowl and fork to Jackson. "Thank you for the quick lunch and the company. I like having you around."

"You're welcome," Jackson said and picked up his tray as he stood up. He used his free hand to pick up April's right hand. "I'll try to stop by after my shift's over." He gently kissed the back of her hand causing her to blush again. "I'll see you later."

April softly sighed and grinned as Jackson left her room. He was like a modern day Prince Charming. Beautiful eyes, a dazzling smile, a polite gentleman. She didn't doubt his body was nicely built… if only she could remember what it looked like. If there was such thing as a perfect man, Jackson would be it. Perhaps procreating with him wasn't a bad thing at all.

* * *

"There you are, baby!" Catherine Avery boasted as she approached Jackson at the nurses' station. She grabbed his face and kissed his cheek, to his embarrassment. She took a step back to examine his appearance. "What happened to your eye? Did you get into a fight and neglect to tell me?"

"No, it wasn't a fight. Just an overprotective father," he mumbled.

"Well, that explains why you hid half of your face in that picture you sent me." She tried to touch his face, but he moved his head away. "You've got some bags under your eyes. Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Why don't we go see Jordan?" Jackson deflected the question with a forced grin. "That's why you're here, remember?" He escorted her down the hallway. "We can visit April afterwards."

"And how is she doing? Poor girl can't catch a break these days."

Jackson sighed. "She's getting better. Her memory's not there yet, but we're working on it."

"And when are you going to marry her?" Catherine asked nonchalantly.

"Uhh…" Jackson cleared his throat as he stuffed his hands into his lab coat pockets. "It'd be easier to propose if she knew who I was. She doesn't know me as her best friend. She just sees me as the hot doctor who's nice to her."

Catherine smirked. "Are you in love with her, baby?"

Jackson clenched his jaw. "Can we talk about something else?"

"You just implied you do want to marry her. You and April have been close friends since Mercy West. I know you deeply care for her," she insinuated. "I would love to have her in the family. Such a sweet girl. Glad she loosened up with you, whenever that happened."

"Wow, Mom. We're really going there?"

"What? I offered harmless advice. That girl was way too tense during my penile transplant surgery," she recalled. Catherine smiled at Jackson. "I'm not asking for the details. You can keep that to yourself. I'm just happy to know you finally noticed her."

"If only she could actually remember me," he muttered. Jackson frowned at his mother. "She knows how I feel about her, but at the same time she's not the April I fell for. Everything we've been through together is lost right now."

Catherine caressed Jackson's arm. "Oh, I know it's tough, Jackson. Brain injuries take a while to recover from. Don't lose hope, okay? The April we all know will be back before you know it."

Jackson entered the NICU with Catherine. They wore gowns before they walked to Jordan's isolette crib. A nurse helped take Jordan out of his crib and handed him to his grandmother.

Catherine grinned at Jordan. "Hi, little baby boy. Well, aren't you a cutie pie?" She looked at Jackson. "His middle name isn't Egbert, is it?"

"No freakin' way," he answered and chuckled. "You hate that name too?"

"It should be against the law," she quipped. "I didn't have a choice when you were born. Your grandfather was at the hospital and he already instilled the idea into your father's head. I was lucky to have my way with your first name. Your father wanted to name you Harper the Third. You know how much pressure you would've faced with that name? Why do you think your father gave up?"

Jackson smiled, clearly impressed. "This might be the first time we've agreed on something." He shared a laugh with her. "And thank you for not naming me Harper. I prefer Jackson by a landslide."

"And I bet you named him after Michael Jordan. You had posters of him all over your room when you were a child."

"You caught me," he admitted. "His middle name's Charles. It was April's idea after I told her about what happened to him. She doesn't mind him going by just Avery too."

"She is going to marry you one day," she said, then she looked at him with a serious expression on her face. "When she regains her memory you propose to her. You hear me, Jackson Avery? You get down on one knee with a pretty diamond ring and you propose."

"Will you be writing my wedding vows too?" he asked sarcastically. "Mom, I'll propose to her when the time is right and I'll do it my own way. Besides, what if April doesn't want to marry me after all of this?"

Catherine scoffed. "Please, that woman's been head over heels for you since you were interns. The first time I met her, I saw the way she would look at you. Women know these things. Men are as blind as bats."

Jackson softly laughed. "You know, for somebody who loves to meddle with my life, I'm surprised you never pushed me to be with April if you knew she had feelings for me."

"That would've been too easy, baby," she said with a smirk. "I wanted you to figure it out on your own."

Jackson simply smiled as Catherine turned her attention back to Jordan. There had been a long line of women he had dated in the past, some she approved of and some she didn't. She let him know right away when she wasn't a fan of whoever he was dating at the time. She already confirmed that she preferred April over anybody else, which was a relief. "For once, we're on the same page. Let's keep it that way."

* * *

April really hated being glued to her bed all day and all night. The only time she left her bed was to use the bathroom, which turned out to be a more daunting task than it was for the typical, uninjured human. She had to be careful not to reopen her incision from her C-section when she sat on the toilet. It took a lot of work to go to the bathroom for just a minute.

She stepped out of the bathroom and eyed the open door to the hallway. Her parents had fallen asleep on their chairs and she desperately wanted to walk around. Trying to be as quiet as possible, April removed her IV from her hand and wore Joe's jacket to cover her backside. She carried a portable heart monitor in one hand and left her room.

Walking slowly down the hallway, she decided to search for the NICU to see Jordan. She couldn't ask a nurse or else they'd immediately force her to return to her room, so she hoped she would be lucky.

Cristina was charting at one of the nurses' stations when she briefly looked up to see April walking by. She had to do a double take to realize her patient was wandering around. "Kepner!" She quickly approached her and pointed her finger at her. "You're not supposed to be out of your room. What are you doing out of your room?"

"I want to see Jordan. Where's the NICU?"

"Not anywhere close by. You need to get your ass back into your room before-"

"I'm fine!" April held up her heart monitor. "I'm obviously not dying and you'll know right away if something's wrong. I can walk just fine and I'm not feeling dizzy at all. I just want to see my son for five minutes, then I'll go back."

Cristina blankly stared at April. "Alright, but if you pop open your staples and bleed out, that's on you." She retrieved a wheelchair and pushed it in front of her. "Sit or no NICU."

April grinned as she carefully took a seat on the wheelchair. "I could hug you right now."

"Please, don't," she bluntly said and began pushing her down the hallway.

"Oh my gosh, you have no idea how good it feels to be out of that bed. My parents won't stop talking about putting Jordan up for adoption. I already told them I'm keeping him and they don't want to accept that. Jackson and I-"

"Okay, this is a no talking trip. You'll only attract attention with that voice of yours, so you need to shut up or else we'll get caught," Cristina interrupted. Even rambling, amnesiac April was just as annoying to her.

April tilted her head back to look at Cristina. "You don't seem to have a lot of friends, huh?"

"Yeah well, neither do you," she sneered. Cristina smirked after April rolled her eyes. "Just trying to help you get your memory back."

The rest of the trip to the NICU was quiet. Cristina was able to sneak April past everybody and stopped at the doorway. April peered through the window to see Jackson and Catherine inside. She tried to stand up, but Cristina held her down.

"Wait here first," she ordered. Cristina entered the room and walked towards Jackson. "Avery, can you handle your amnesiac girlfriend, so I can get back to work?"

"What?" Jackson looked over Cristina's shoulder and saw April pushing herself up from the wheelchair. He rushed towards her concerned and gently grabbed her shoulder. "April, what are you doing here? You can't be moving around this much yet."

April sighed. "I know, but I need to see Jordan. I just… he's my son. You really have no idea how much it's killing me to be away from him like this." She frowned. "Please, Jackson?"

"Just let her, Avery," Cristina said as she left the room. "Make it quick, though."

Of course he wasn't going to turn her away, but he was worried about her health. Jackson got a new gown for April and helped her put it on. He assisted her to Jordan's isolette crib where Catherine was baby talking to him through the glass. "Mom, here's April."

Catherine smiled at April and delicately grabbed her free hand. "It's nice to see you again, April," she cheerfully said as she rubbed her hand. "I know you can't remember ever meeting me, but let me tell you that I'm so thrilled that you gave me a grandson."

April shyly smiled. She was aware that Catherine was a world renowned surgeon, so meeting her face to face was slightly overwhelming. "I-I umm… I'm flattered, really. Y-you know, I used some of your articles in my research papers when I was in medical school at Akron."

Catherine softly chuckled at her last comment as she remembered April telling her the same thing during their first meeting at Mercy West. "Why, thank you. I'm glad my work helped you with your studies." She pulled her towards the crib. "Anyway, your baby boy's been waiting to meet you."

April looked into the crib and stared at Jordan, who slowly blinked his eyes. She barely noticed Jackson taking her heart monitor when she slipped a hand inside and touched his fingers. "Hey, Jordan. I'm your mommy." She hoped she could control her emotions, but the sight of her newborn baby prevented that. "I wish I could remember you growing inside of me. I'm so sorry you have to go through this. You're in here because of me."

Jackson wrapped his arm around April's shoulder and gently kissed her right temple. "It's not your fault, April," he reassured her. "You didn't know any of this would happen to you two. Don't blame yourself for this."

"He's right, dear," Catherine said as she rubbed April's back. "You did nothing wrong."

"I still feel guilty," she sobbed. April wiped away her tears with her free hand. "Maybe I could've done something differently."

"How? That idiot driver caused the accident not you," Jackson said bitterly. He personally wanted to locate the driver who injured her and throw him off the Space Needle. At least he already did it in his mind. "Our son's doing fine. There haven't been any complications and I'm sure you did everything right when you were pregnant. I'm positive you took every precaution possible because that's how you function. You cover details more than anybody I know."

April slowly nodded. "Okay."

They spent five minutes interacting with Jordan before Jackson helped April back to her room. He pushed her wheelchair down the hallway and hovered over her. "You okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she softly answered. April turned her head to look at Jackson and smiled. "It was nice seeing him in person. Thanks for letting me stay."

"No problem. Your presence distracted my mom from her constant meddling," he joked. "Just to let you know, she meddles a lot."

"She's being a mom that's all," April replied unperturbed. "All moms meddle. I'll probably be the same way."

Jackson shook his head and grinned. "Nobody can be as big of a meddler as my mother. She's the queen of meddlers. Trust me." He spotted April's parents shouting at Derek, Owen and Addison in the hallway causing him to frown. "Oh, crap."

Karen noticed Jackson pushing April closer and angrily sauntered towards them. "How dare you take April out of her room while we were asleep!"

Jackson was caught off-guard by a hard slap against his cheek. "C'mon, really?!"

Owen rushed towards them and stepped in between them. "Hey, can we all calm down for a second?" the Chief of Surgery demanded. He sternly looked at Jackson. "What the hell were you thinking?"

April pushed herself up onto her feet. "Dr. Hunt, it's not Jackson's fault. It was my idea alone. I snuck out. He didn't have anything to do with it," she said defensively. "I-I wanted to see my baby and he was just helping me back to my room."

"April, you're not allowed to leave your room without supervision," Addison scolded. "Your incision still needs time to heal. You could've harmed yourself even more."

"I know and I'm sorry," she said and pointed at herself. "I just wanted to see my son. Is that too much to ask?"

Joe shook his head in disgust. "April, how many times are we going to tell you? You are _not_ keeping this baby. That baby will go to a family who can take care of him and you'll be coming home with us when you're fit to leave this place."

"You just don't want me to keep him because I had him out of wedlock, right?" April retorted. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise to Jesus. I don't remember why I chose to break my promise, but I know God will forgive me. Maybe He already has. Why can't you two?"

Joe pointed his finger at Jackson. "You stay the hell away from my daughter! You've done enough."

Jackson threw his arms up in frustration. "I didn't do anything wrong!" he shouted. "And for the record, _we_ are keeping the baby. We're old enough to be responsible for a child that belongs to us. With all due respect, Mr. Kepner, you can't make this decision for us."

"Do you want another black eye, son?" he replied in a threatening tone.

April rolled her eyes. "I'm not in high school anymore, Dad! You can't protect me forever. I'm… a grown woman and-"

Jackson caught April and broke her fall before she could hit the floor. She lay passed out in his arms as Derek and Owen knelt down by her sides to examine her.

* * *

**Don't hate me for the little cliffhanger, but let me know what you think anyway :D Chapter 6 on Wednesday.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm feeling quite generous today, so instead of Wednesday (like I previously said) I'm posting this chapter way earlier than I intended to. I feel like the story starts to take a turn in chapter 7. I kind of see my story split into three parts making chapter 6 the end of part one. Anyway, I'll be updating on my usual schedule again after this, but here's an early bonus.**

* * *

It was a long day for Jackson and he couldn't wait for his shift to be over. He had experienced quite the scare after April fainted in his arms. Fortunately for everybody involved, it wasn't as bad as it appeared. She passed out due to exhaustion and lack of sleep. Derek requested a CT scan to check her brain and was relieved not to find any hemorrhaging. Owen sent April's parents home for the night and volunteered to watch her in her room.

The Chief of Surgery worked on paperwork, while April slept in her bed. He was exhausted himself, but he owed it to her to offer support during her recovery. She was one of his little soldiers after all. Owen hadn't really thought about what would happen to her when she fully recovers. He wanted to offer her a job at the hospital, but it depended on how mentally ready she would be. If she still planned on retaking her boards in June, then he would do everything he could to help her study.

He felt like an asshole when he told her she couldn't return to Seattle Grace Mercy West for her fellowship. Her heart practically broke in front of him, but he had limited options after he matched Johns Hopkins' offer so Alex could stay. He thought maybe he had made a mistake when he learned Alex chose Hopkins. Then the plane crash changed everything. Alex decided to return to SGMW without the lucrative offer he was initially given. The funding he didn't have for April was there, but he had already hired Kevin Banks for the Trauma fellowship. He used most of that money to lure Teddy back to Seattle, so Cristina would stay too. He also used the money to rehire Addison. Despite how calm and collected April was during a time of chaos, there wasn't enough room for her. All of the open spots were filled, which left her the odd person out.

In a way, he did feel responsible for her being in her current position. He really hated playing the "What if" game, but he was certain things would've been different and she wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed. Shit happens, he reminded himself. He knew he couldn't dwell on the past anymore and he would make it up to April somehow.

Cristina stood in the doorway wearing her street clothes. She cleared her throat to get Owen's attention. "Is Kepner okay?" she whispered.

"Yes. She just needs to sleep and rest," he softly said.

"Okay. Well, I'm gonna go home. Goodnight."

Owen frowned when Cristina left in a hurry. Their marriage was still rocky after all this time. At the hospital, she kept herself occupied with surgeries and working with Teddy. Their communication wasn't the best, but there were days when they could have normal conversations. They agreed to take things slow and he hoped doing that would help patch up their relationship.

A few moments later, Jackson entered April's room after changing out of his scrubs. He stood by the foot of her bed and watched her sleep. "She'll be okay, right?"

Owen nodded. "CT scans came in clean. No bleeding in her brain," he answered. "Derek just gave her something to help her sleep. She'll wake up in the morning. You should go home and get some sleep, Avery. I'll be around to watch her."

"Okay, and umm… thank you," he quietly said, then he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "So I know you felt bad about having to fire her and I gave you a ton of crap for that, but I know you wanted to keep her here after the crash. I'm sorry I held a grudge for so long."

"No, I understand why you were upset," he glumly said.

Jackson sighed as he walked towards the door. "I'm heading out. Let me know ASAP if something's wrong with April or Jordan."

"Will do. Goodnight, Avery."

"Goodnight."

Jackson left the hospital and drove home to his apartment. When he arrived he heard the sounds of the TV in the living room. Alex was sitting on the couch, beer in hand, and catching up on _Sportscenter_. Jackson noticed a bunch of large boxes by the door and looked at them curiously. "Karev, where'd these boxes come from?"

"No clue. I just found them in front of our door when I got home," his roommate answered. Alex stood up and walked into the kitchen. "They're addressed to your name, though. Want a beer?"

"Uhh, in a minute." Jackson checked the return address on the boxes. It had Moline, Ohio written on them. He used his car key to cut the tape of one of the boxes and opened it. Inside were all of April's medical books. He opened another box and inside were shoeboxes and some clothes. The next box contained jackets and more clothes. He cut open the rest of the boxes to find the rest of April's belongings. The most significant thing he found was a folder containing all of her sonogram pictures. "Holy crap."

"What?" Alex approached Jackson as he drank from a new bottle of beer. He saw a bunch of pink inside of some of the boxes, which only meant one thing. "Dude, is that Kepner's stuff?"

Jackson nodded while he stared at one of the sonogram pictures. "Yeah." He turned around to look at Alex. "I don't think she came here just to visit. She was planning on moving back here."

* * *

Instead of getting a good night's sleep, Jackson lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. It confused him that April was moving back to Seattle unannounced. A surprise visit made sense, but packing all of her stuff and shipping them to the apartment was completely different. Something wasn't right. He knew April well enough to know that she would've researched ahead of time for a place to stay instead of sending her belongings to the apartment. Unless, she thought her bedroom was still available. He never did tell her who took her bedroom, fearing he would upset her even more about failing her boards.

Whatever her reasons were for hiding the pregnancy and moving back to Seattle, he would figure it out later. He needed to sleep. He was averaging about four to five hours of sleep because worrying about April and Jordan kept him up. If he wasn't careful, he might faint like she did earlier that day.

He failed miserably as his alarm woke him up only three hours after he fell asleep. It was 6 AM and he had another shift to work. A part of him wanted to ask Owen when he could take his paternity leave, but he wanted to work as much as possible while April and Jordan were still in the hospital. April didn't have a job, so it was up to him to support them financially until she could work again.

Groggy and totally not in the mood to go to work, Jackson stumbled into the bathroom to take a shower. It partially woke him up, but he knew he would need a lot of coffee for the day. He was scheduled for a couple of surgeries: a boob job and an ear reconstruction. Oh, yeah. It was going to be a fun day.

* * *

April woke up to the sounds of chatter in her room. The voices in the room were trying their best to be quiet, but they were loud enough to wake her up. She opened her eyes and saw her three sisters trying to shush each other. She turned her head to see a toddler tugging on her IV line. "Umm…"

"Oh, crap! Maya, don't touch that, sweetie!" Kimmie Kepner jumped up from her seat and picked up her daughter. She sheepishly grinned at April as she returned to her chair. "Sorry about that. She's in a grabby phase. Everything she sees she wants to grab."

"Kimmie, you have a daughter?" April stared at her sister confused. "When did you get married?"

"Four years ago and I had Maya three years ago," Kimmie answered. "I'm sure you remember Tom. We started dating in college. Mom and Dad informed us of your memory loss, but Mom said you should be able to remember Tom."

April slowly nodded. "Yeah… I do…" She was clearly not awake enough to process the most recent information she had learned. "I had no idea you were all coming."

"We heard about what happened, so coming here was a must. We all got in late last night," Libby Kepner explained. She pointed at herself. "Plus, this gives me a break from motherhood. Kayla and Melissa are twin terrors right now. They're 7-year old nightmares, always fighting and beating each other up. Then there's 4-year old Mason, who likes to put anything in his mouth. I left the kids with Carl. Hopefully, we'll still have custody of our children when I return to Columbus."

Libby was two years older than April. Growing up, she bossed around her younger sister like any older sister would. She was the so-called model of the family and the rebellious one. Stayed out past curfew, dumped her farm chores on April, cut class in high school and married her husband five months after she met him during her senior year of college. Joe wasn't a happy camper when he saw tattoos all over his arms. Carl was a mechanic and owned a shop in Columbus, while Libby became a stay-at-home mother.

Kimmie was three years younger than April. She and Libby enjoyed ganging up on her whenever they had the opportunity. She was the drama queen – because she loved theater arts and started acting in church plays at a young age. Kimmie lived in New York, performing mostly in off-Broadway plays. She and her husband, Tom, were college sweethearts. He was a nice guy until he became a hot shot lawyer. Now, he was the most arrogant man April had ever met.

April's relationship with Libby and Kimmie improved as they grew older. They weren't picking on her as much as they did when they were children. When April graduated from medical school their parents bragged to everybody they knew in Moline about one of their daughters becoming a doctor. Both Libby and Kimmie always felt their parents favored April over the rest of them, so they couldn't help but be jealous of her. To cope with their jealousy, they had the tendency to rub their marriages in her face since she had always struggled with finding a boyfriend.

Then there was Alice Kepner. Six years younger than April, she was the athlete of the family. Her soccer skills earned her a full scholarship to UCLA where she played for four years. Instead of returning home after graduating, she stayed in Los Angeles and moved in with her beach bum boyfriend, Dylan. She wasn't complaining, though, having landed a decent job as an assistant coach with her former college team.

She and April were always close. The latter was forever grateful when Alice was born because she was no longer dubbed the middle sister anymore. Alice occasionally poked fun at April, but not nearly as much as Libby and Kimmie did. They talked on the phone every week and April made an effort to come to her soccer matches whenever UCLA was in the Washington area. She liked her youngest sister so much that she voluntarily did her science projects for her until she left for college.

"So, is your head okay?" Alice asked.

"I suppose so. I mean, I'm not having any terrible headaches post-surgery. My memory's apparently just off right now," April answered. She rubbed her eyes as she slowly pushed the blanket away from her. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Let me help," Alice insisted as she rushed by her side. She helped April climb out of her bed and led her to the bathroom. "Mom told us you fainted yesterday. She said you just needed to sleep, but we don't want you fainting again for whatever reason."

Libby waited for the two of them to walk into the bathroom, then she leaned close to Kimmie. "She looks horrible, not to mention she didn't tell any of us she was pregnant. I can't believe she tried to hide that from Mom and Dad."

Kimmie nodded in agreement. "If you ask me, that was pretty stupid. Maybe she thought they'd be fine with it. She was always kissing their asses. I don't think she got in trouble once when we lived at the farm. I so knew she wasn't as innocent as she looked."

Considering the Kepner sisters were terrible whisperers, Alice and April could hear them from inside of the bathroom. Alice simply rolled her eyes and looked at April. "Don't listen to what they're saying. You know they've always been that way with you. They've always been jealous because you became something amazing and they're just ordinary."

"You'd think they'd be a little more compassionate after what happened to me," April muttered.

"While they _are_ concerned about you, they're both still boneheads," Alice said and grinned. "Nothing new there."

April softly laughed, then she gave her sister a hug. "I am so glad you're here. I don't think I could deal with those two alone and Mom and Dad haven't been exactly helpful either." She pulled away from her. "Dad punched the guy who fathered my baby, then Mom slapped him yesterday for something I did. He's a really sweet person. Jackson has been nothing but good to me."

"Oh, the guy with the pretty eyes? Not a bad choice at all, April," she replied, playfully nudging April with her elbow. "I remember meeting him once. I think you brought him to my game when my team played at U-Dub my freshman year. And you have like, a million pictures of him on your Facebook. He's hot. Libby and Kimmie are gonna be even more jealous of you."

"To be honest, that's the least of my worries right now. Despite all of the facts he's told me about myself and our friendship, I still don't know him at all," April said and frowned. "And I feel awful because he's in love with me and I'm not sure how to respond to that. When he tries to kiss me I move my head away or think of something to say to distract him. It's just… awkward. Also, he's so unbelievably gorgeous that I become kind of nervous around him."

Alice smiled. "Well, if he hasn't stopped trying to kiss you, then you're doing something right." She watched her sister roll her eyes. "And I know what you're thinking. You probably think your face is hideous because of your scars and stuff, but you're not ugly. You never were. You just needed more confidence in yourself. You're definitely more outgoing now than in the past. That's why Jackson noticed you in the first place. Anyway, can you just pee already? Because this bathroom doesn't have most pleasant smell."

April chuckled waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah. You can wait outside."

"Alright," she said, then she paused before she opened the door. "I think it's appropriate enough to tell you now that you've always been my favorite sister, so thanks for looking out for me all these years."

"Thanks, Alice." April waited for Alice to leave the bathroom before she dealt with her business. She washed her hands, threw some water at her face to wake herself up and took a deep breath before she returned to her bed to catch up with her sisters.

* * *

Taking a seat at a table with Alex and Kevin in the cafeteria, Jackson popped open a can of Red Bull and chugged half of its contents in one sip. He completed his breast implant surgery, but he still had an ear reconstruction left to do and he had an hour before his second surgery.

Alex had a smug smile on his face, amazed that the pretty boy could look worse than him. "Jesus, Avery. You look like shit. I guess that's what happens when you become the hospital's punching bag."

"April's mom doesn't count. Besides, how many times have _you_ gotten your ass kicked?" Jackson sneered. "At least when it happened to you, you actually deserved it."

"Fine, whatever. You need to sleep, though. Nobody's gonna want to be operated on by a half-awake surgeon."

"I can handle it. Get off my back."

"Somebody's on their rag this week," Alex teased. He and Kevin laughed as Jackson glared at them from across the table. "Dude, you need to get laid. You're so uptight right now."

Jackson rubbed his eyes. "I didn't get much sleep, okay?" he said, sounding aggravated. "All of this crap with April's parents and everything else… I'm just sick of it. I'm constantly worried about Jordan and April getting her memory back. It's throwing me off."

"A can of Red Bull isn't going to fix your attentiveness," Kevin said. "Your hands will be shaking like crazy in the OR. Aren't you doing some important reconstruction later?"

"I said I can handle it, so just shut up about it," Jackson demanded, then his pager went off. It was a page from Mark, so he stood up. "Mark's paging me. Gotta go." He left the cafeteria chugging down the rest of his energy drink. His mentor was waiting for him outside of his patient's room. "You paged?"

Mark folded his arms as he stared intensely at Jackson. "What's the most important rule after you finish your work?"

Jackson hesitated to answer, then he nervously laughed. "Is this a trick question?"

"Double. Check. _Everything_," Mark sternly said. "Did you double check your work earlier?" He raised his hand just as his Plastics fellow was about to speak. "Of course not. Otherwise, you would've noticed that one boob was higher than the other! You've done at least 50 boob jobs by yourself, Avery. How do you botch a fairly simple procedure?"

"I-I… I'm sorry. I've been-"

"Distracted. Anybody could see that," Mark answered for him. He nodded his head towards the room behind him. "I've got a blondie crying behind me because of your mistake, which I now have to fix. You're off the ear reconstruction case, Avery. I'll do it myself."

Jackson sighed in frustration. "Listen, let me fix my error. I can fix it."

"Right now, what you need is some sleep. Go home and come back tomorrow for your next shift," he ordered. "Or do I need to call your mother and have her go to your place to rock you to sleep?"

"I'm going!" he exclaimed and walked past Mark, who quickly grabbed him by the collar of his lab coat. "What now, Sloan?"

Mark smirked at Jackson. "What? You thought you could just leave without apologizing to your patient?" He dragged him towards the patient's room. "You're lucky I like you, Avery."

* * *

After Catherine found out Jackson was sent home from work for the day, she called him and invited him to dinner. He was able to get some much needed sleep in the afternoon before meeting her in downtown Seattle. They sat across from each other at a high-end restaurant where they could have an intimate conversation.

Jackson quietly sipped his water. He originally ordered a glass of scotch, but his mother banned him from drinking for the night, to his dismay. Catherine could see on his face how flustered he was. Her poor baby had a rough week and needed a break. Mother-son bonding time was a must.

"Dr. Sloan told me about what you did today," she said, slightly annoyed. "You can't be making silly mistakes like that, Jackson. Whether it's a boob job or liposuction-"

"I know, Mom," he interrupted her.

"Tell me what's bothering you, baby."

Jackson sighed. "I've been worried about so many things that it's slowly destroying me from the inside out. I gave my patient distorted breast implants on three hours of sleep. I was completely distracted by everything that's going on outside of the OR," he complained. "What if I'm not cut out to be a good father? What if… what if I end up like Dad?"

Catherine shook her head. "You are nothing like your father. Never have been and never will be. Remember that."

"You know, I'm pretty sure I went to more Celtics games with you and Grandpa than with Dad. I can only remember him taking me to two games and both times he was doing paperwork in his seat," he recalled. "He cared more about his career than ever being a good father."

"And look at where it took him. Nowhere. He tried to be your grandfather. He put a lot of pressure on your dad to be as great as him and he couldn't handle it," she reminded him. "Now I know you hate it when I meddle, but I just want what's best for you. I've already accepted the fact that you're passionate about Plastics, so I'll leave that alone. Mark Sloan taught you well. Your dad didn't have a mentor like that. He had your grandfather."

Like Ellis Grey, Harper Avery Jr. put his career above his family. Jackson and Meredith rarely had deep conversations with each other until he moved into her house after the shooting. One random night, they talked about their parents over a few beers in the kitchen. He told her about how his father was never around and always at the hospital. Harper Jr. would buy him expensive birthday presents to win him over, but that only made him resent him more. He felt so much pressure to emulate Harper Sr.'s success that the countless hours in the OR caused him to burn out altogether. He turned into a drunk, wasting his money on alcohol and bars. Jackson's father packed up and left town when he was a senior in high school. He hadn't heard from him since his 21st birthday when he called to briefly greet him in less than 30 seconds. Even Catherine had no idea where he ended up, but she preferred it that way.

Despite how annoyed he got due to her constant meddling, he was glad to have a mother who cared as much as she did. Catherine fixed her busy schedules around to spend time with him and his siblings. He didn't really think about it until lately, but perhaps he was never pushed to become a surgeon like his two older sisters were because Catherine didn't want him to end up like his father. She wanted to protect him from suffering the same fate as Harper Jr. She was still excited for him when he chose medicine and surgery, but she knew she wouldn't push him too far and let history repeat its course.

"They're the same people. I refused to let Grandpa do to me what he did to Dad, so I made sure to get away as far as I could," Jackson said confidently. "But I still have my insecurities. What if I want to find the time to hang out with Jordan, but I can't?"

"You can always find time to be with him. It's a matter of whether or not you _want_ to find that time. Take your father, for example. Between a heart transplant and your high school basketball team playing in the state championship, he chose the first option. He could have passed it up to watch you play, but he chose to do it because he didn't want anyone else being better than him. Well, that and he wanted to impress your grandfather of course."

Jackson frowned. "I want to be a good dad and I want to be a good husband one day, but…" He placed his elbow on the table and leaned his head against his hand. "I'm so paranoid that April won't be her normal self ever again. This amnesia's supposed to be temporary, though I can't help but think about the worst case scenario possible. There's always that 1% chance her memory never fully recovers."

"Oh, baby. I know this is hard for you, but you need to stay positive," Catherine insisted.

"When I walk into her room she's there, but… not really there. In a way, I still miss her because the April sitting in that hospital bed isn't my best friend," he unhappily said. "And having to worry about her is messing me up in the OR. I feel like I should just ignore her and pretend she's not in the hospital until her memory comes back."

"What good would that do? Being in her room with her is what could help her remember things." Catherine smirked. "And if you want my opinion, you'll only be more distracted if you do that."

"I just want this to be over," he groaned. Jackson furrowed his eyebrows. "Before April came back, she shipped boxes of her stuff to my apartment. I'm pretty sure she was keen on moving back here. I just can't figure out why she didn't tell me. Surprising me with a baby was one thing, but moving back to Seattle unannounced makes me think there's more to this story than her parents are letting on."

"You think they're hiding information from you?" Catherine asked curiously.

Jackson slowly nodded. "Maybe. I don't entirely trust them. They could say whatever they want to April and convince her to believe them," he said, rolling his eyes. "All we need is for her to get her memory back, so she can tell us the truth. Her parents sure as hell won't say anything. I hope it happens sooner than later."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the very early update. Chapter 7 on Wednesday (this time for real, lol).**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for the reviews! So, who else saw the latest promo featuring Jackson and April? :D Editing can be deceiving, so I'll wait until that episode airs before I get too happy. Here's chapter 7. Enjoy!**

* * *

For the next few days, April's status remained the same. While she was able to remember some information she learned from everybody after the accident, her memories from her residency years were still missing. Taking Catherine's advice, Jackson continued to visit her room hoping he could finally get through to her. He was beginning to run out of stories to tell her, but he wasn't ready to give up on her.

Jordan's health was on the rise. He was up to three pounds and he had grown bigger in size. Jackson visited him every day. He was determined not to miss an open opportunity to spend time with his son and avoid becoming a bust like his own father. Venting to his mother seemed to help him relieve a lot of his stress and it showed in the OR. Mark stopped nitpicking his work and began trusting him again.

Life at Seattle Grace Mercy West was fairly normal again. Most of the doctors weren't overly concerned about April's health like the previous week. They still monitored her recovery, but it was more of a waiting game than anything else at that point.

"Karev, what the hell's on your lab coat?" Cristina pointed her plastic fork at the two animals on Alex's lab coat. She was eating her lunch in the attendings lounge with Meredith, Alex and Jackson.

Alex looked down at the elephant and tiger patches stitched to his lab coat. It was a "graduation" gift from Arizona as a way to congratulate him for surviving his residency. "Robbins surprised me this morning by replacing my old lab coat with a new one. She said they complement the monkey and kitten on hers," he replied unenthusiastically. "Whatever. Anything to stay on her good side, I guess."

"I think it's adorable," Meredith complimented. "And you're in Pediatrics, so it makes sense."

"Anyway, have you seen Kepner's older sister? She's freakin' hot," Alex mumbled with a mouthful of fries.

"Alex, she's married!" Meredith scolded.

"I never said I wanted to screw her," he said defensively.

"Doesn't mean you don't," Cristina snorted. "You've passed up Sloan in the manwhore department."

Jackson snickered and nodded. "I actually agree with Yang on that one. There's a new woman at our apartment every week, most of them he picks up at Joe's."

Cristina smirked at Alex. "It wouldn't surprise me if you have 15 or more Evil Spawnlings running around in the near future. Do you even remember half of the women you've slept with in the past four or five months?"

"Shut up, Yang. At least I've been getting some," he sneered.

The lounge suddenly grew quiet as Meredith and Jackson waited for a rebuttal from Cristina. However, Evil Spawn was right. She and Owen hadn't had sex since the night she left for Boise, though Jackson and Alex, along with the other doctors, never found out he cheated on her. Only Meredith and Teddy knew about it. Maybe Owen talked to someone else about what he did, but if nobody was gossiping in the hospital then it was unknown to most of the doctors. Most of them believed they still hadn't fully recovered from Owen's blow up about the abortion.

Cristina remained quiet, staring at her lunch while she ate. It wasn't until Kevin entered the lounge with his own lunch that she spoke again. "Hey, just because you took April's job it doesn't mean you're welcome to eat lunch with us, Malibu Ken." Ever since April bumped into him in the lobby of the hotel in San Francisco, she always thought his appearance was comparable to a Malibu Ken doll.

Kevin was hesitant to answer. He didn't say it out loud, but Cristina intimidated the crap out of him. He was positive she could kill people with her eyes by just looking at them.

"Ignore her. She's just pissed because I got her good earlier," Alex intervened. "Dude, just sit down."

"Are you sure? Because I can always have lunch in April's room instead," he said as he smirked at Jackson. He personally loved toying with his roommate, who hated seeing Kevin hanging out in her room whenever he passed by or walked inside to visit her.

Kevin would never admit to Jackson that he thought April was attractive. He initially thought she was cute after they bumped into each other – until she opened her mouth about the Case Western Reserve job. That part wasn't so cute.

"No, you can stay here. April has enough company in her room," Jackson muttered, slightly glaring at him.

Kevin found a spot on the couch next to Alex. "Did you get a look at April's older sister? Damn."

"That's what I'm saying!" Alex replied and grinned. "That chick popped out twins and a third kid? Whoever she married is one lucky son of a bitch."

"Oh, grow up," Jackson retorted. "And I highly doubt she'd sleep with either one of you. They're all taken, so don't even bother."

"April's not… technically," Kevin argued. He flashed a grin at Jackson, who clenched his jaw. "I mean, you two were never officially dating, right?"

"Yeah, but it's common knowledge that she's not available either." Jackson slyly grinned at his peers. "Did you guys know April punched Banks at the boards?"

Meredith covered her mouth with her hand as she started laughing, along with Cristina. "What?"

"What the hell, Avery?" Kevin snapped at Jackson. "That was only supposed to be between you and me!"

"Not really," Alex said and chuckled. "I already knew. Seriously, you let a tiny girl like _Kepner_ kick your ass?"

"Hold on. For the record, she didn't _kick my ass_. She got a lucky punch at my nose, then she jumped on me like a spider monkey in front of the everybody in the bar," Kevin defended himself. "I hardly call that an ass kicking."

"Whatever, you deserved it. You were harassing her and you completely set her off after you punched me," Jackson pointed out.

"Would you prefer I punched her instead? I may have been drunk, but I still don't hit women."

Cristina raised her hand. "Okay, so Kepner kicked your ass after you punched Pretty Boy? Jackson had a chance to defend himself and instead let April do it for him?" She let out a laugh. "You're both pussies. My respect for Kepner just went up a notch."

Jackson pointed at himself. "I was ready to fight him, but April jumped in front of me. I didn't know she was going to pounce on him like that." He quickly shook his head and smiled. "Anyway, it was a turning point because right after it happened we-" He stopped himself, but his coworkers stared at him curiously. "I took her back to her room, so she could calm down."

"And you calmed her down by taking off her clothes, right?" Alex quipped.

"You knocked her up the night before the boards?" Cristina asked amused. "No wonder she failed. You extinguished her virgin superpowers."

Jackson groaned. "I didn't knock her up that night. It happened the next day in the men's restroom," he mumbled.

Meredith and Cristina spit out their waters at the same time. "Are you serious? Oh my God, who knew locking her out of the women's restroom would lead to that?" Cristina grinned. "That's one hell of a story to tell Jordan if he ever asks you how he was conceived. You should definitely go with April's sex on the beach at sunset story instead."

Before he could become the joke of their lunch break Lexie barged in, to his relief. "Mer, my physical therapist is a freakin' moron!" she yelled.

"What did he do this time?" Meredith asked nonchalantly. She had gotten used to Lexie's complaints that it hardly unfazed her anymore.

Lexie sat down on the empty chair next to her sister's. "He's just… he's not a good PT! He talks to me like I'm 12 years old. His stupid motivational phrases aren't encouraging. They just make me feel like I'm mentally challenged."

"So, that's your problem with him? That he says cheesy phrases to motivate you? Jesus, Lexie, he's the best physical therapist in this hospital," Meredith assured her.

"Yeah, after Robbins drove away that Steve guy," Alex added. "He was the best one we had until she drove him nuts with her stubbornness and never ending questions about her leg. She and Lex are impossible. They've had five PT's combined because they're so damn stubborn."

"Shut up. You have no idea what we had to go through, Karev," Lexie retorted. "Maybe if you spent some time supporting Arizona at her PT sessions, you'd be a little more sympathetic. Let's not forget who should've been on that plane in the first place."

The plane crash remained a sensitive topic to discuss. Alex was the last person who wanted to bring it up, especially around Arizona. His career wouldn't be where it was now if he hadn't been kicked off of the case in Boise. Arizona basically saved his life, but staying in Seattle wasn't enough to make up for it in his mind.

Alex glared at Lexie. "Do you really want to go there with me?"

"Okay, okay. Nobody has to go there," Meredith interrupted. She stood up and gathered her belongings. "C'mon, Lexie. Let's talk about how your PT session went today somewhere else."

Alex had a scowl on his face after Lexie left the lounge with Meredith. "Just because Lexie almost died it doesn't mean she should be getting extra special treatment. It's not my freakin' fault the plane crashed." He angrily stood up. "Whatever. I'm gonna go check on some patients."

Cristina was the next person to leave the lounge saying something about asking Teddy about their next surgery, leaving Jackson alone with Kevin. Both of them remained quiet, having created tension between them after Jackson told the others about what happened at the bar in San Francisco.

Kevin stretched his arm across the empty space on the couch and held out his hand to Jackson. "Shit happened in the past. What's done is done. No hard feelings?"

Jackson eyed his roommate's hand. "No hard feelings," he repeated and softly laughed. "You said the same thing to April right before you suggested she slept with that doctor for the job offer. Why should I believe you're being sincere?"

"I was drunk that night. I mean it this time, I swear," he answered, still holding out his hand. "We're even, okay?"

"Fine," Jackson replied and shook Kevin's hand. If he hadn't been the person who berated his best friend, he would've gotten along with him without any problems. Part of him just didn't want to like him, but he simply had to suck it up. "We're even."

* * *

After reaching the end of his shift for the day, Jackson decided to stop by April's room before heading home to his apartment. She was alone, eating hospital food she clearly wasn't a fan of. Visiting hours were over, so her family had left the hospital by then. It was good that she was alone because he needed to talk to her about some things that were on his mind.

April pushed her tray away after barely eating the food a nurse gave her. She noticed Jackson entering her room and pointed at the hospital food. "You'd think they would give you something that won't kill you," she joked. "Maybe I'm just spoiled by the food my sisters have been giving me from outside of the hospital, but this is disgusting."

"I don't doubt that," he concurred and sat beside her bed. "But you do need to eat, so you don't faint again."

"I know, but I can't eat this crap without feeling nauseous afterwards." April decided to change the subject. "Anyway, let's talk about something else."

"Umm, Jordan's doing well. He's starting to open his mouth a little bit, but he's still not ready to eat with it yet," Jackson answered. "So, uhh… I've been meaning to talk to you about this for a while except I wanted to wait until we were completely alone. A few days ago, a bunch of boxes were shipped to my apartment and they contained most of your stuff."

"Oh, really?" April asked curiously. "Why would I do that?"

"Well… I think you were moving back here. I don't know the whole story, but I really need you to try to remember anything because your parents might not have been exactly truthful about what happened in Ohio."

April raised her eyebrow. "You think my parents are lying to me?" She shook her head. "My parents never lie. They're always straightforward and open with my sisters and I."

Jackson sighed. "Let's be realistic here, April. Your parents can tell you whatever they want you to hear. That's what they want. Why do you think they were so adamant about adoption for Jordan? I don't know. Maybe they weren't happy at all with you when they found out you were pregnant and they don't want to accept a child out of wedlock."

"First of all, Jackson, I know my parents a lot better than you do. They've accepted the fact that I want to keep him."

"Then, why haven't they visited him in the NICU? Your sisters have seen him, but your parents haven't gone anywhere near the NICU. That doesn't scream acceptance. Just try to remember what happened before the accident, April."

"I can't!" April exclaimed. "I've been trying and nothing rings a bell to me!"

"Try harder!" Jackson said in frustration. "I don't know how much more I can take this. I want my best friend back and Jordan needs his _real_ mother."

"I _am_ his mother, Jackson," she said, shaking her head in disgust. "I can't believe you just said that."

Jackson hunched over, covering his face with his hands. "The April sitting in front of me now isn't the same April I've known for the past six years," he murmured. "I really want us to be together, but I don't think it'll work out if your memory doesn't come back."

April frowned. "I'm really trying here, okay? Do you think this is easy for me?"

Jackson lifted his head to look at April. "It's not easy for either of us. I barely dodged a lawsuit from one of my patients after I gave her a terrible boob job. I've been worrying about you and Jordan since you came back and it's getting in the way of my work."

"So what are you trying to say? That I'm holding you back from being some big shot plastic surgeon? I'm sorry, but plastic surgery is for the ones who want an easy route to getting rich." April instantly regretted her words when she saw the hurt on Jackson's face. "Wait, Jackson. I didn't mean that."

"Well, I'm not the one without a job," he sternly said and got up from his seat. "I'm not the one who couldn't talk about my problems because I broke my promise to Jesus. And I'm not the one who packed up and left and hid a pregnancy for six months! What you did wasn't fair. It was selfish. I could've moved on from you, but I didn't because I hoped that there was still a chance for us. Right now there's nothing, so figure out a way to get your memory back because I'm out of ideas."

April was speechless as Jackson left her room. For somebody who was supposed to be her best friend, his words hurt a lot. Maybe he was right, she thought, but it still hurt to hear him say it.

* * *

Alex sat at the counter at Joe's sipping a beer and eating a burger. He was joined by Jackson, who angrily set his bag on the counter when he sat down next to him. "I am such an asshole," the pretty boy muttered. He ordered a beer, then he looked at his roommate. "I'm an asshole!"

"Do you want me to agree with you or... I've got some other names I can call you too," Alex offered.

"I'd rather not hear them," he replied and took a swig from his beer bottle. "April and I had a fight and I blew up at her. I said a bunch of crap I shouldn't have said. How much longer do we have to wait for her memory to come back?"

"Dude, I know how you feel," his roommate said. "Before the merger, Izzie had problems with her memory after Shepherd operated on her brain except uhh… her memory would reset every 30 seconds or so. It was annoying as hell."

"How'd that work out?"

"We set up a bunch of post-its and flashcards all over her room, so we wouldn't have to repeat ourselves over and over again," he answered, then he softly chuckled. "But you know me, I'm not the most patient guy on this planet and I blew up at her too. Then we thought her memory was back to normal when she remembered me bitching at her. I was all relieved until she died in my arms. She signed a DNR, but they resuscitated her anyway. When we got married I vowed to take care of her and she chose to sign a freakin' DNR. Bullshit, if you ask me."

Jackson hardly knew Izzie and never really interacted with her when Mercy West merged with Seattle Grace. Izzie had gotten fired on the first day of the merger, so they didn't have a chance to meet while everybody was fighting for their jobs. But what he did know, based on chatter he overheard from various doctors, was that Alex truly loved her. He wondered how much longer his roommate would continue bringing home skanks before he ditched his dirty habits and settled down with someone.

"And then Izzie left me," Alex continued. "So, yeah. You're not the only person who's had to deal with that kind of crap. You just gotta… stay patient and wait for the tide to turn or whatever. If you keep pushing her and pushing her, it won't make things better. You're just gonna push her away. Believe me, I know."

Jackson slowly nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

* * *

Kevin walked past April's room, but he took a step back when he heard sniffles coming from inside. He peeked his head through the doorway and saw her crying on her bed. "Uhh, hey," he hesitantly greeted her as he entered her room. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" April looked up at Kevin, who stood at the foot of her bed. She quickly dried her eyes with her gown. "Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just got into a stupid fight with Jackson. It's nothing."

"Nothing, huh? So why are you crying?"

April cleared her throat. "I'm a sensitive person. I take a lot of things personally, but you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine. You can go. You probably have other patients to check on."

"No. Actually, I was on my way to the locker room. My shift just ended, but I can keep you company if you want. I'm in no hurry to leave," he suggested. Kevin walked around the bed and sat down on a chair beside her. "Plus, you look like you need someone to talk to, so I'll listen."

"You really don't have to stay here with me."

Kevin waved his hand and smiled. "No, it's okay. I'll stick around until you fall asleep."

April sighed. "So what do you think? Will I get my memory back? Be honest with me."

"I think you will. Permanent memory loss is pretty rare and that happens to people with extremely severe injuries or when they have to have part of their brain removed," he insisted.

"That's encouraging," she said, sounding relieved. "So, umm… did I break your nose when I punched you?"

Kevin laughed and shook his head. "No, you didn't," he lied. In fact, she actually did. As if he would ever admit to anybody that a woman broke his nose. "It bled, but it was fine."

"Oh, good. I'm sorry for that. I can't imagine myself being that aggressive, but if Jackson says I did it then it must be true."

"I should be the one who's sorry. I started it all by treating you like crap, so you don't need to apologize."

"All of the stories he told me about our time as residents sounded really interesting. I must have grown up a lot because I've always had a hard time standing up for myself," she timidly said. "I probably had a hard time adjusting when I first started my residency."

Kevin scooted his seat closer to April. "Want to know something interesting about me? I used to be a fat kid." He softly laughed. "My parents sent me to fat camps when I was young. I got bullied all the time in school, but once I reached high school I decided enough was enough. I exercised my ass off, lost weight and my self-confidence shot up once the ladies started noticing me."

"A fat kid? Really?" April smirked at him. "I don't buy it. Me? Geeky glasses and braces in high school. Total nerd. It was the most traumatizing time of my life. At least the braces were gone after I graduated. I practically begged my dad for laser eye surgery. Waited for three years. It was the best 21st birthday present I got from anybody."

"And did it all help?"

"Well, not really. I was still a wallflower. Part of that was my fault. I was afraid to speak up at college parties and I focused more on academics than making friends." April grimaced. "When I think back to it I was a huge loser. Depressing."

Kevin quickly shrugged. "But now you're a doctor. That's not something to frown upon."

"More like a failing doctor since I already failed my boards once. That's so embarrassing." She frowned. "Maybe I should start over without even bothering to try to get my memory back. I can do other things. Become a teacher like my mom. I don't think some of the doctors here really missed my presence. I can tell by the way they interact with me."

"Jackson loves you. His feelings should matter most to you."

April nodded and sighed. "Yeah, but being happy matters to me more. I just want to be happy for a change."

* * *

**You know the drill ;) Chapter 8 on Saturday!**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, somebody asked if Jordan is really Jackson's baby and the answer is yes. I think it would be out of character for April to sleep with someone else after she had an epic meltdown about giving up her v-card to Jackson and breaking her promise to Jesus, lol.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 8. It's a little shorter than some chapters, but I think the next couple of chapters will make up for it :)**

* * *

Jackson felt awful about yelling at April the previous night. Even when she was her normal self he had never been angry at her like that. The last time he yelled at her was in the men's restroom during their boards exam break. That small fight only led to hot and dirty sex… and a baby. He knew his mother would have slapped him upside the head for some of the things he said to April. It was in the heat of the moment and apologizing was a must.

He decided he had to accept the possibility of her memory never fully returning. If they were ever going to be together in the future, she would have to get to know him all over again. He figured if she crushed on him in the past, then falling for him again wasn't out of the question. Baby steps. Shoving too much information down her throat would be overwhelming.

It was his day off, but he wanted to spend it at the hospital. Checking up on Jordan and April were his priorities. He woke up late – 9 AM was considered sleeping in for him – and only spent about half an hour in his apartment before he left. He made a couple of pit stops on his way to Seattle Grace Mercy West, then he went up to April's room on the fourth floor.

She wasn't in her bed, but he suspected she had just woken up and was in the bathroom. Jackson quietly took a seat by her bed, reaching into a plastic bag containing take out boxes and pulling out breakfast he bought from the café from around the corner. He set April's breakfast on the overbed table just as she emerged from the bathroom.

April gasped, placing a hand against her chest where part of her incision could be seen. "Oh my gosh, you can't just sneak in like that!" she scolded, slightly glaring at Jackson. "What are you doing here?"

_Crap, she hasn't forgotten about our fight_, he said in his mind. He should've known better than to assume she would brush it off. "I uhh… I want to apologize," Jackson said as he stood up from his seat. "I really do. I was way out of line last night. We rarely fight and when we do it's mostly playful banter. I umm, bought us breakfast to make up for it. Well, sort of. I know spoiling you with good food won't solve everything, but it's a start."

His charming smile and bluish-green eyes nearly hypnotized her, but she quickly deflected them by shielding her face with her hand. "Umm, apology accepted," she shyly said. April slowly walked back to her bed, avoiding eye contact with Jackson. "And I'm sorry too for what I said about plastic surgery."

"It's okay. I'm over that." Jackson waited for April to climb into her bed, then he pushed the overbed table close to her. "Bought you that breakfast sandwich you love with a fruit cup and mango lemonade." He picked up a blueberry muffin wrapped in plastic from the bag. "And they gave me this for free, but I'm not sure why. It could be stale, so stay away from this one."

April softly smiled at Jackson. She learned quickly how difficult it was to stay angry at him. "Thank you, Jackson. I appreciate it." She took note of the Harvard crest on his black zip-up hooded jacket. "You went to Harvard?"

"I did," he confirmed. "Undergrad and medical school. Played football there too."

"I wanted to go to Harvard, but it was too expensive for me," she recalled.

"You attended the University of Akron on an academic scholarship. They have an accelerated 6-year program there that allows you to get your bachelor's degree in two years and complete medical school in four," Jackson remembered her telling him when they first met at Mercy West. "I thought you looked a little young to be a surgical intern, but then again so did I. Took me three years to finish my undergrad before I went to medical school. I'm just a year older than you, but we started our residency at the same time."

April nodded while she ate her breakfast. "That's right… about Akron. Only about 35 people get in a year, so I got really lucky. It was a big deal in Moline." She watched Jackson eat his own breakfast feeling intrigued to know more about him. He spent more time telling stories about their residency that he neglected to talk about himself personally. "Tell me more about yourself, Jackson. I want to know more about you."

"I'm glad you asked because…" Jackson paused to reach for his laptop that was sitting on the floor. "…that's mainly the reason why I'm here. I know a lot about you and it was pretty ignorant of me not to share information about myself."

"Don't you want to eat first?"

"I can multitask." Jackson pulled another chair next to his and set his breakfast down beside him. He placed his laptop on his thighs, using his touch mouse pad to open a photo album. Turning his laptop around, he picked up his breakfast burrito and used his free hand to point at the picture of his family. "These are the Avery's."

He leaned forward to look at the picture. "The woman to my right is my sister, Samantha. She's the oldest and she's a cardiothoracic surgeon at Stanford," he continued. "The one to my left is my other sister, Joslyn. She's also a cardiothoracic surgeon, but at Yale. Sam's four years older and Jos is three years. We all went to Harvard. It helped that our grandfather had a lot of good friends who worked there and he was an alum himself."

April pointed out Harper Sr. in the picture. "That's him, right? Next to your mom?" He nodded, then she noticed somebody was missing. "Where's your dad?"

"Not around," he murmured. "This was taken the day I graduated from medical school. He wasn't in my life anymore. Uhh, he walked out on us when I was in high school. He couldn't hack it as a surgeon. Too much pressure from my grandfather. Became an alcoholic. Never really was a father, though."

"I'm sorry," she said with a frown on her face.

Jackson simply shrugged. "Not everyone's blessed with good parents. My mom made up for that, though. She's crazy, but she's always been a great mom." He took a bite out of his burrito before he spoke again. "Anyway, despite how crazy my mom is, my sisters are insane. They're ridiculously competitive with each other. Both did their residencies at Mass Gen. Married neurosurgeons. I'd say they're even right now with the jobs they have, but when one sister gets pregnant I have zero doubt in my mind that the other will want to get pregnant too."

"But you beat them to it," she grinned. "Or are you not a part of their competition?"

"I was just the pretty boy to them until I told my family I aced my MCAT," he said and chuckled. "They thought I'd flee to New York or L.A. to become a model, so they were shocked when they found out I was going down the medical road too. They kind of underestimated me because I was the jock of the family."

"How come you didn't go to Mass Gen?"

"I wanted to create my own path. Also, working under my grandfather isn't as exciting as it may sound. He reserved a place for me, but I wanted to branch out and become independent."

April smiled at Jackson. "Well, it's a good thing you chose to come to Seattle then. Otherwise, we wouldn't have met."

Jackson returned the smile as he closed his laptop. "Exactly."

* * *

The breakfast chat with April had gone better than Jackson expected. He felt relieved that she got to know him better on a personal level. He had actually opened up about his personal life more than he ever did. Pre-accident April didn't know the truth about Harper Avery Jr. Jackson rarely talked about him with his friends. She assumed he passed away when he said his father hadn't been around since he was 17.

She let him talk, while she listened. April appeared genuinely interested in what he had to say. He told her stories about his childhood. He talked about how hitting puberty was the most embarrassing phase of his life because his voice cracked and he had terrible acne. Of course Jackson was one of the popular kids in high school. Total jock playing football and basketball and competing in track and field. Prom King and Homecoming King his senior year. Valedictorian, though his speech didn't go according to plan. With numerous cameras recording him, nerves got the best of him and he vomited on stage in front of about 2,000 people.

It was easier to blend in at Harvard because it seemed every student there was special in their own way. There were celebrities, inventors, child prodigies who outranked his popularity. He loved being just another face in the crowd. However, when he started medical school his name stood out like a sore thumb. Everyone wanted to meet his famous grandfather, the downside of being an Avery.

April wanted to take a brief nap because she had a minor headache, so Jackson left her alone to visit Jordan in the NICU. He had a few presents for him after he made his second pit stop at the gift shop.

Jackson playfully waved around a small stuffed tiger in front of his son. "I got this for you, Jordan, because tigers are fierce and of course, awesome." His lame attempt at a growl made Arizona chuckle, who was standing nearby checking on another baby. The side of the isolette crib was open, allowing him to place the toy inside next to Jordan. He unfolded a sky blue baby blanket with animals embroidered on it. "And I also got this blanket, so you can snuggle against something when you sleep."

Arizona quietly watched Jackson interact with Jordan from a few feet away. It was soothing for her. She had been under a lot of stress since her leg was amputated. The physical therapy was torture for her. First, she needed to wait for her wounds to heal before relearning how to walk with a prosthetic leg. She took out her frustration on Callie, but most of all, Alex. It wasn't his fault the plane crashed, but him choosing Hopkins _was_ the reason why she took his seat. She didn't wish it was her Peds fellow who lost his leg, though he was an easy target to blame.

She resented him in the early months of her recovery. He never stopped by the physical therapy clinic to see how she was doing. What she didn't realize was his guilt had become so huge that he wasn't sure how to cope with it, that watching her rehabilitate her leg only made him feel worse. The constant yelling matches between them didn't help. It wasn't until she reached the fifth stage of grief, acceptance, that her attitude changed. Her perky personality returned and she made an effort to be civil with Alex again.

Jackson held up a yellow beanie with the design of a duck's head on it. "This might be a little too big for you right now, but umm… maybe it'll fit your head in a couple of weeks." He set the beanie close to Jordan's head. "It's not exactly my taste, but your mom might appreciate it. She grew up on a farm with ducks… and pigs… and… corn…"

"You're good with him, Avery," Arizona chimed in and smiled. "It may not seem like he's listening to you, but he is. This is how the bond between baby and father start." She joined Jackson in front of Jordan's crib, setting her cane underneath her chair. "Who do you think he'll look like?"

"No idea. Mark's convinced he'll have my eyes. I hope he'll have some of April's features too." Jackson leaned forward to adjust the tiny pacifier in his mouth. "He doesn't really suck on it, does he?"

"He's trying to. In the womb, he was able to suck on his thumb, but this is an entirely different experience for him," she explained. "But when he starts getting the hang of it he can start eating with his mouth."

Jackson looked at Arizona. "Do you think April not being able to bond with Jordan is a bad thing? I mean, whatever bond she had with him during the pregnancy is gone, at least temporarily. Will it be hard for her to bond with a baby she can't remember having?"

"There might be some awkwardness. I know she already said she wants to keep him, but we'll see what happens when she's able to move around more freely. Her first meeting was overwhelming. There's that sense of knowing Jordan's hers, yet she also doesn't know how to accept him because she can't remember being pregnant with him."

"That makes sense."

Arizona stared at Jordan, then she sighed. "I want one." She slightly smiled as she thought about a tiny human growing inside of her one day. "I used to never want one until after the shooting happened. And it wasn't until I survived the plane crash that I actually wanted to go through the pregnancy thing myself. It's funny how a couple of near death experiences change the way you view life. It's so fragile. Tiny humans are fragile. And cute. I want Callie and I to have another tiny human."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

"Not yet. She thinks I should get my career back on track first before we take another huge step together." Arizona picked up her cane and stood up. "And I agree with her. It's not the right time yet. Anyway, enjoy your father-son time because they grow up fast."

Jackson slowly nodded in agreement as Arizona walked away. He touched Jordan's palm with the tip of his finger and smiled when his baby boy lightly grasped it in his little hand. "Show off."

* * *

_She stood in horror as Gary Clark shot Derek right in front of her. The gunshot pushed him backwards and it felt like time was moving slowly before he landed on the floor. She was shaking and in shock as she rushed towards him, neglecting the fact that the shooter was only two feet away from her._

_The click of the gun bought her attention and her eyes widened, realizing she was his next target. Alert and using quick thinking, she raised her hands and stared at Mr. Clark._

_"M-my name is April Kepner. I'm 28 years old. I was born on April 23__rd__ in Ohio. I'm from Columbus, Ohio. M-my mom is a teacher and my dad is a farmer. C-corn. Corn. He grows corn. Their names are Karen and Joe," she stammered. Trying not to panic too much, she held up three fingers as her hand shook. "I have three sisters. Libby's the oldest. I'm next, then there's Kimmie and Alice."_

_Mr. Clark just stared at her quietly and listened, his gun still aimed at her as a puddle of blood formed on the floor where Derek was lying._

_"I haven't done anything yet. I haven't. I've barely lived. All I've done is win science fairs and go to medical school. I'm not finished yet. No one's loved me and… please. Please! I'm someone's child! I'm someone's sister," she pleaded as tears highlighted the fear in her eyes. "I'm a person. I'm a… person."_

_Mr. Clark inhaled sharply. "Run."_

_April did as she was told, turning around and running towards the doors she came from. Once she pushed past the doors, everything suddenly became a blur…_

"April. April, wake up," Addison gently shook her sleeping patient, who was sweating bullets from her forehead. From her perspective, it appeared April was having a nightmare. She came in to check how far her C-section incision had healed and walked in to find her softly whimpering in her sleep.

A few seconds later, April opened her eyes. Addison hovered over her, staring at her concerned. "The… the shooter… a shooter wanted to shoot me…"

"What?" Addison rested the back of her hand against April's forehead and grimaced. "Geez, April. You're burning up. How long have you been feeling under the weather?"

"I umm… I don't know. I felt a little gross after I woke up, but I… didn't think anything of it," she murmured. "Then I got a headache. Do I have the flu? I feel… sick."

"Well, you definitely have a fever," Addison adjusted April's gown and removed the dressing from her C-section incision. It was red and beginning to swell. "Oh, crap. Your incision has an infection. Have you been having pain in your abdomen all this time?"

"Sort of. A little bit, but uhh… I just thought it was because I was healing and that's usually normal, right?"

Addison nodded. "Yes, but yours is infected. We need to get you on antibiotics immediately," she informed her while she paged a nurse at the same time. "It doesn't look severe, but we'll have to watch it closely. I'll check your other incisions to make sure those are fine."

April took a deep breath and exhaled. "But the shooter… in my dream. He… pointed the gun at me."

Addison furrowed her eyebrows as she removed the dressing from April's head. "It was just a dream, April. There's no shooter in the hospital, I guarantee you that." She was relieved to see a clean and healing cut on the side of her head. She replaced the dressing with a new one. "Fortunately, your head's fine."

A male nurse entered the room. "You paged?"

"Yes, I'm going to need some antibiotics, stat. Her incision from a caesarean section is infected and she's running a high fever," Addison ordered. The nurse left, then she checked the incision on April's chest. "This one's fine too. Don't worry, April. We caught this just in time. Now, I don't want you sitting up straight or moving around a lot until the infection's gone. If you need to use the bathroom, make sure you call for assistance. The more you rest, the faster this will disappear."

"Okay," she softly said. "Umm, can you let Jackson know? He stopped by earlier. And my parents. They're supposed to be exploring Seattle today with my sisters, but they'll probably want to know about this."

"Of course. Let's get your IV set up with antibiotics, then I'll call your parents."

The nurse returned with the antibiotics and connected it to April's IV line. Addison carefully cleaned the incision with antibiotic cream before she placed a new dressing over it. She wiped the sweat off of her face with a clean towel, wondering why her incision became infected. She was certain she required antibiotics to be administered daily since her wound was still fresh. Somebody was going to be bitched at later that day.

* * *

"I don't understand how one of the nurses forgot to provide her with more antibiotics," Addison angrily said as she stared inside April's room where her parents kept her company. She was joined by Owen, Derek and Jackson, who were just as annoyed with what happened. "Now the healing in her abdomen's pushed back by a week or two."

"She seemed fine when I visited her," Jackson replied disappointedly. "How did I miss that?"

"It's not your fault, Jackson. The fever didn't show up until after you left," Addison assured him. "The fever was making her talk gibberish. She started rambling about a shooter in a dream she had, said he wanted to shoot her."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows as he turned his head to look at Addison. "She said that?" After he got shot, his mind wasn't completely straight, but he remembered April standing behind him and blurting out random facts about herself. "She had a dream about the shooting?"

"I suppose so. Why?" She felt like an idiot for not making the connection faster after Derek and Owen exchanged surprised looks with each other. Was April's memory starting to return?

Owen entered April's room, followed by Derek and Addison. He cleared his throat and gestured his hand towards the door. "Uhh, Mr. and Mrs. Kepner, do you mind stepping out for a couple of minutes? We'd like to do a quick check up on your daughter."

The elder Kepners agreed without any hesitation. Jackson leaned against the wall as Joe and Karen walked out of April's room. He turned his head away when he felt Big Joe's eyes staring him down. He wrote a mental memo to himself to never be in a room alone with that man.

Derek stood by April's bed, feeling slightly encouraged. "April, Dr. Montgomery tells me you had a dream about a shooter?" He watched her nod. "Can you remember what happened in that dream?"

"You got shot by this guy…"

"Gary Clark."

"And umm, he was going to shoot me, but I started telling him personal information about myself. Instead of shooting me, he told me to run and so I did." April slowly shrugged. "That's about it."

Derek slightly smiled. "April, that actually happened. It wasn't a dream."

"Huh? I'm pretty sure it was a dream," she insisted. "I just had a weird nightmare, that's all. I don't know what it meant, but it was morbid. Hopefully, it won't be a recurring thing because it was awful."

Derek's face dropped. Jackson stood by the doorway, shaking his head in disappointment. Even though the shooting was explained to April before, her short-term memory was a little sketchy in some areas. So close, yet so far. Back to square one.

* * *

**Because we have to wait 2 weeks for our Japril fix (urgh!), I'll give you chapter 9 on Monday and chapter 10 on Thursday. These chapters have been finished for a while now, so I might as well post them a little early. Thank you to those who have stuck with the story and hello to new followers! I always appreciate the feedback :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for the reviews! Here's chapter 9. All I can say is, ENJOY! :)**

* * *

Since April's dream about the shooting she hadn't experienced any dreams like that again. She had already forgotten it happened a week later and she didn't have any recollection of the dream happening. It was almost as if the fever from her infection sparked a memory she lost after the accident, but Derek couldn't prove that.

Jordan's health remained stable. His breathing improved, though he still needed supplemental oxygen through his nose. He wasn't eating with his mouth yet, but his ability to keep his pacifier in his mouth was encouraging for his development. Jackson's routine visits happened in between surgeries and during part of his lunch break. He made a brief visit to the NICU after his shift, then he paid a visit to April's room – after Big Joe and Karen were gone, of course.

April's infection was slowly disappearing, thanks to the daily rounds of antibiotics through an IV. She was forced to stay in bed as a part of Addison's orders and a nurse would have to help her out of bed to use the bathroom. It was one of the most frustrating experiences because she knew she should be bonding with Jordan, despite how awkward it felt to be spending time with a baby she couldn't remember being pregnant with. Instead, she was back to being nursed and babied by the various doctors who stopped by to check on her.

It was Halloween. Pediatrics was decorated for the occasion and Arizona requested everybody working in her department to be dressed in a simple and job friendly costume with their scrubs. She claimed it made sick children happier if their doctors were just as enthusiastic about Halloween as they were.

Alex hated the idea. He stopped dressing up for Halloween when he was 8 years old, but since he knew he would be kissing Arizona's ass until the end of time he sucked it up and went for the pirate look. Cheesy paper pirate hat with a poor attempt of a skull and crossbones drawn on it and a black eye patch. However, his patients seemed to love it, especially the boys.

"I remember when I dressed up for Halloween here," Lexie recalled while she ate lunch with Meredith, Alex and Jackson in the attendings lounge. She was excited about dressing up when she was an intern… until she realized the joke was on her. "Freakin' Yang."

"Arizona wants the kids who aren't dying to go trick-or-treating in Peds later, but the diabetic ones only get apples," he chuckled. "She's making interns walk them around and some of us are gonna be hiding in empty rooms to give out candy. She's a freak."

"Well, I think it's cute. They're missing out on Halloween and Arizona's helping make up for it. How's that eye patch working out for you? I hope you're not performing surgery with that-" Lexie yelped after she lifted Alex's eye patch, which revealed a fake distorted eye underneath. She smacked his arm as he laughed on the couch. "Alex, that's disgusting. You might scare the kids with that!"

Alex removed his eye patch and peeled off the fake makeup. "Relax, it's easy to peel off," he pointed out. "Plus, I'm only using it on kids who are bratty and impossible. I made one kid down a pill when he refused to take it in front of the nurse. His reaction was priceless."

Meredith rolled her eyes and smiled. "Poor kid. You probably traumatized him for life."

Cristina entered the lounge wearing a headband with two silver glittered stars wiggling back and forth on a pair of springs. She drew strange looks from her colleagues, who all wondered why she was "dressed" for Halloween.

"Yang, you do know Peds was the only department required to wear costumes, right?" Alex teased. "Or did you lose a bet?"

"For your information, Evil Spawn, I'm treating a 7-year old with an atrial septal defect," the Cardio fellow answered. "Arizona would only put me on the case if I dressed up today. I didn't have anything to wear, so she gave me this and…" She pulled out a black wand with a silver glittered star attached to the tip from her lab coat pocket. "…this."

"What the hell are you supposed to be then?"

Cristina lazily waved her wand. "I'm the Soul Fairy. I take people's souls and eat them," she replied in monotone.

Jackson quickly shrugged. "At least it fits your personality."

"Shush, Pretty Boy," she scoffed. Cristina took a seat next to Meredith at the table before she removed her headband. "This just proves that Peds isn't as hardcore as Cardio regardless of what Robbins says. Without a working heart, we all die."

"You're still alive," Alex muttered, which elicited a small chuckle from Lexie and Jackson.

Meredith threw a balled up napkin at Alex, hitting him on the forehead. She turned her attention back to Cristina. "Tell me more about this procedure…"

The Twisted Sisters had gone into their own conversation when Lexie pushed herself up from the couch. "I'm off to my PT session. Wish me luck," she said sarcastically.

"Oh, I'm heading out too. Gonna spend some time with Jordan," Jackson said as he stood up.

"Hey, I'll go with you. I want to try something out with you," Alex offered.

Jackson smirked. "I don't swing that way, Karev."

"Shut up," he retorted and left the lounge with him. They walked side by side to the NICU. "Anyway, I'm serious. Jordan's vitals are stable enough to try what I want to try. You've heard of kangaroo care, right?"

"That's when parents and newborns are engaging in skin-to-skin contact?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. They say it increases the personal bond between parent and kid. It also helps him regulate his body temperature better, encourage a normalized heart and respiratory rate, even increased weight gain," he explained. "Research says it has a ton of benefits. I had to do it for a preemie whose heart rate kept dropping and it worked. It was a little awkward because it wasn't my kid, but whatever. Kid lived."

They entered the NICU, then Alex wore a gown before he opened Jordan's crib. The baby boy was awake and lying on his stomach. Jackson grinned at the yellow duck beanie covering his head. "What's up, Jordan?" He used his knuckle to give his son a tiny fist pump.

"Avery, sit down and take off your shirt and I mean that in the least gayest way possible," Alex ordered. He picked up Jordan from his crib as Jackson hung his lab coat on his chair and removed his scrub top. He handed the baby over to his father. "Hold him against your body, so that it's chest to chest."

Jackson followed Alex's directions and carefully held Jordan against his chest. He smiled as the tiny human curled up against his chest. Although he had held Jordan many times before, he already loved kangaroo care. He loved the tight bond they were sharing. Then he thought about April and how much time she was missing with her son. He wondered how often she thought about Jordan, if she did at all. Since the first and only time she met him, she barely talked about him unless he brought up the topic first. She still wasn't herself, so he couldn't blame her for not caring as much as he did.

He also had to tell Alex and Kevin that they needed to find a new place to live. Jordan wasn't ready to leave the hospital yet, but he would be an awful roommate if he kicked them out without a warning. One of the bedrooms would eventually be turned into a nursery. He hoped his roommates could help him with that. Would his coworkers mind a late baby shower? Designing and making a nursery didn't come cheap. Every new parent deserved free gifts. Then again, his family came from money. Maybe Catherine could simply spoil her grandson with a brand new nursery. He didn't doubt she would be spoiling her only grandchild like crazy.

He hardly noticed the two female nurses staring at his shirtless body. Alex had to tell them off, so they would leave him alone. His bromance with Alex became stronger after Jordan was born. His roommate took good care of his son. He never thought they could bond over a baby.

"Hey, uhh… Karev, I want you to be Jordan's godfather."

"Really?" Alex appeared surprised by his request. "I thought you'd ask Sloan since you two are kind of boyfriends and Plastics Posse brothers or whatever. Really? Me?"

"He can have more than one. Who cares about tradition? Sloan's the obvious choice, but you've been taking care of my boy and I can't thank you enough. You deserve it." He grinned at Alex. "Just remember to share."

"Well, uhh, thanks." Alex slightly smiled. "Cool."

Jackson looked down at Jordan while he gently rubbed his back. "By the way, I'm kicking you and Banks out sometime soon."

"Way to ruin the moment, Avery," he said and softly chuckled. "Good thing I already started looking for a new place to live. I was waiting for you to tell me that."

"But you have to at least help me with the nursery."

"Screw that. I don't know squat about putting together a nursery," he scoffed and pointed at himself. "Do I look like somebody who knows how to decorate a nursery? You might as well ask Yang what kind of wallpaper to use."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "I don't know how to decorate one either. April would for sure figure it out, but she's hardly in mom mode right now," he said, sounding bitter. "I don't mean to knock April. It's just… I know she would be more involved from her bed if she was her normal self. This April is probably thinking more about her surgical career even if she doesn't want to admit it."

"Just freakin' talk to her about it," Alex replied impatiently. "Maybe she'll surprise you. She would probably help decorate a stranger's nursery if she was asked to. Chicks dig all that crap."

"Yeah, you're right." He sighed. "I'll talk to her later."

* * *

While Libby and Kimmie already left for the airport to fly home, Alice was in the hospital with April until she had to leave for her own flight later that night. April was thankful to have her family around during her recovery, but she knew they had their own lives and jobs to return to. Her parents planned to stay until she was cleared to leave the hospital. They began renting a small apartment 20 minutes away from SGMW and mostly used it for sleeping. They spent the majority of their time in April's room.

"So, I wanted to wait until my last day here to give you this and think of it as your first baby gift," Alice said as she opened her carry on luggage. She pulled out a baby blue and yellow onesie with UCLA Bruins printed on the front of it. "I know you're all about the Zips, but little Jordan needs to give her Aunt Alice's Bruins some love too." Her bright smile slowly faded when she noticed a teary-eyed April staring at the onesie. "What's wrong?"

April wiped away her tears with her hand. "I'm sorry," she choked. "I've been having a hard time with this. I know I'm a mom, but I don't _feel_ like I'm a mom. I want to accept Jordan as my own, but he doesn't feel like he's my son. It basically has to do with the fact that I can't remember carrying him, so when I first saw him I wanted to feel a connection and I just couldn't."

It was the first time she admitted how she truly felt about being a mother. In a way, it was a relief to finally tell the truth, but she felt terrible at the same time. She always wanted to have children except Jordan was like a stranger to her, very much like Jackson was initially.

"It's a horrible thing to say, right? When I met him in the NICU I tried so hard to form a bond with him, I really did. Jackson and his mom were in there, so I couldn't flat out say I wasn't feeling anything," she continued and sobbed. "What's even worse is when Jackson gives me updates and shows me new pictures of Jordan. I force myself to be interested, but in the back of my mind I'm so confused."

Alice set the onesie aside, then she sat on the edge of the bed and lay back next to April. "Apes, I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you," she said as carefully hugged her sister. "I know for a fact that if you could remember everything, you wouldn't be having these feelings."

"I really like Jackson," April replied, sniffling. "But this baby's in the way. Mom and Dad still want adoption, but I can't do that to Jackson. Maybe he's better off raising this kid without me."

"Don't say that. You'll be a good mother, I promise," Alice insisted, gently rubbing April's back. "There's a chance you'll be able to form a real bond with Jordan once you spend more time with him."

"And what if it doesn't work?"

Alice sighed. "You can't say you didn't try."

Standing outside of April's room was Jackson, who stopped by to visit. He hid behind the wall and listened to her confess to Alice her true feelings with a frown on his face. Perhaps he needed to hear it, but he also didn't want to. It hurt knowing she was lying to him all along. The prospects of being a single father wasn't in his future. He refused to accept that. Still, his heart broke a little when April implied that Jordan was a burden to their budding relationship. Instead of interrupting the sob fest in her room, he just walked away. How could he live with someone who didn't have an emotional attachment to their baby? A couple of hard drinks were necessary after his shift was over.

* * *

_"So, what brings you to Seattle?" Harold, the taxi driver, asked as he drove April to her destination._

_"Well, I lived here for about six years before I moved back to my home in Ohio," April answered. She gently rubbed her belly and smiled. "I'm a surgeon. I did my residency at Seattle Grace Mercy West."_

_"Oh, I see. Visiting old friends?"_

_"Sort of." She bit her lower lip. "I'm moving back here. My umm… the father of my baby works there. He uhh, actually doesn't know. I want to tell him in person."_

_Harold raised both of his eyebrows and looked at April through his rearview mirror. "Wow. How far along are you, dear?"_

_April nervously laughed. "Six months," she shyly said. She softly sighed when Harold chuckled. "Yeah, I probably should've told him the moment I found out. I didn't know I was pregnant until I returned to Ohio. I was living with my parents, but I hid it from them. I didn't want them pitying me or anything."_

_"No, I'm sure they would've been understanding."_

_"I wish," she muttered. "They don't believe in premarital sex. I didn't want them to feel let down. They placed high expectations on me because we come from a small town and becoming a doctor was a big deal. Plus, everybody pretty much knows everybody there. I didn't want to become the gossip of Moline."_

_"How do you think the father of your baby will react?"_

_April grimaced. "I'm expecting him to be shocked and seriously pissed. I mean, we're best friends and we talk on the phone every other week, but I've been having these conversations with him without even hinting the fact that he's going to be a father. I just hope he'll be accepting of it and forgive me for lying to him for the past four months."_

_"Is he a good guy?"_

_"Yes, he's a very good guy. He's the most caring guy I know," she replied. "I love him. I really missed being away from him, but I was kind of messed up. I lost my job, so I wasn't in the happiest place in my life. He's the only person who can make me feel better when I'm upset."_

_Harold smiled. "Well, you seem like a sweet lady. How can he not want you in his life?"_

_"I'm worried he won't because I'm pretty sure I hurt him when I left Seattle. He won't say it, but I know I did," she sadly said. "I'm hoping we can start over and see what happens between us. I hope this baby will bring us together."_

_"Do you know what you're having?"_

_"No, I decided to wait to find out the sex. Actually, I want to find out with the father. I think that could be fun… if he's not too angry at me."_

_Harold dismissively waved his hand. "Ah, don't sweat it. Just relax and you'll be fine. If he doesn't man up, then he's not the guy you thought he was. He's your best friend, right?"_

_"Yeah, but he could still pull a 180 and completely hate me for lying to him."_

_"You won't know until you tell him."_

_"Very true," she agreed. April started to grow more nervous by the second. Showing up unannounced and pregnant was enough to rattle the doctors at SGMW. She was sure none of them knew about her losing her virginity to Jackson. While she could prevent being the town gossip back in Moline, it was common knowledge at the hospital that everybody knew your business whether or not you wanted them to. At least she wouldn't be called the Virgin Mary on a daily basis like in the past._

_"So your friend has no clue that you're here?"_

_"Nope," she shyly said. "I'm playing with fire, I know."_

_Harold softly laughed. "Take my advice. Just take a deep breath and relax. Tell the guy how you feel about him. Just tell him the truth. You'll be fine." As he drove his taxi through the intersection in downtown Seattle, a driver from their left side unknowingly ran a red light and crashed into the side of the taxi._

April slowly opened her eyes, having woken up from her sleep. It was quiet outside in the hallway. It must have been the middle of the night because it didn't look very busy. She sleepily scanned the room, unfamiliar with her surroundings. The cast on her left wrist drew a wide-eyed stare and the dressing wrapped around her head made her softly gasp. Almost in a state of panic, she began continuously pressing a button linked to the nurses' station.

A minute later, a female nurse walked inside. "Is something wrong, Dr. Kepner?"

"I… uhh… umm, can I get a doctor? Umm, the Chief or… or somebody who can explain to me what happened?" she asked, visibly confused.

"Umm, yes. I can do that for you," the nurse answered. She seemed just as confused as she turned her head to look at April while she left the room.

April lay back on her bed trying to figure out what had happened. Resting her hands on her abdomen, she noticed it was flatter than she last remembered. "Where's my baby?" she whispered to herself.

Kevin entered her room and smiled at her. "Hey, April. Chief Hunt's at home, but they're calling him right now. What's the problem?"

April furrowed her eyebrows when she saw Kevin standing next to her bed. "You," she said in a low, angry voice. "You- you work _here_? You took my job?! Oh my God! You took my freakin' job?!"

"What are you talking about?" Kevin raised both of his eyebrows in surprise. "Wait. Uhh, you remember me from the bar?"

"Well, duh. It's not often somebody accuses me of sleeping my way to a job offer," she replied, rolling her eyes. April folded her arms as she glared at Kevin. "Congratulations on stealing my job."

Kevin pointed at himself. "Hey, I didn't steal anything, alright? I thought you took _my_ job at Case Western Reserve," he said defensively. "Hunt offered me this job, so I accepted it. Whatever, we all move on."

"Get out of my room!" April shouted. She picked up an empty plastic cup and threw it at him, hitting him square in the face. "I want to see someone I like. You… you're just, _ugh_. What you said to me at the bar was mean and- and very untrue because I don't sleep around like-"

"Damn. Karev was right about you being annoying when you ramble," he sneered. Kevin began leaving the room, then he stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Is your memory back?"

"What are you babbling about?" April groaned and waved her hand. "Chief Hunt, please."

Kevin shook his head as he finally left her room. He sent an urgent message to Owen to come down to the hospital as fast as possible. The message seemed to work because the Chief arrived within 20 minutes. After explaining to him what happened in April's room, Owen didn't hesitate to check up on her.

He walked into her room and she let out a sigh of relief when she saw him. "April, how are you doing?"

"Fine… I guess," said replied, furrowing her eyebrows. "Chief, what am I doing here? What happened?"

Owen stared at April curiously. "You were in a car accident. You don't remember?" He began to worry her memory wasn't as stable as they thought, but he realized she called him Chief. "You called me Chief."

"Well, yeah. Are you not Chief of Surgery anymore?"

"Kepner, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Umm… I was in a taxi… from the airport," she slowly replied, then she shook her head. "I uhh…" April looked down at her abdomen worriedly. "Where's my baby? D-did it die? Did I kill it?!"

Owen quickly waved his hands. "No, no. Your baby's fine. Dr. Montgomery had to perform an emergency C-section while you were in surgery. He's in the NICU and he's doing great." He gestured his hand towards her abdomen. "And take it easy. Your incision got infected last week, so it's still healing."

April's mouth slightly dropped open. "It's a boy? I have a son?" She cleared her throat as tears formed in her eyes. "Umm, Jackson. H-he knows, right? I umm… I never told- is he mad at me?"

Owen shook his head. "No, he's not. In fact, he's very relieved that you two survived the accident. I should page Dr. Shepherd. He needs to be in here. Excuse me for a minute."

April watched Owen leave her room, then she let out a sigh of relief. Jackson wasn't pissed at her. That was good to know, but it wasn't until she felt disgusting all over that she realized how messed up she was. The fat cast on her left wrist was itchy and her healing incisions on her chest and abdomen needed new dressings. She already dreaded seeing the bald spot on her head after she touched the dressing wrapped around it. She was grateful to be alive, though, both her and her son… whose name was unknown to her.

Derek was working late and met up with Owen in the hallway after receiving a page from him. "What's up? Kepner okay?"

"She's awake and… I think her memory's back," Owen answered, smiling. "She just told me her last memory prior to the accident, but everything she learned post-op seems to be gone."

"That tends to happen with patients suffering from post-traumatic amnesia. Their old memories can come back, but the new memories formed after the accident are lost. The brain has a specific way of storing information, so it must have reset when her amnesia disappeared," Derek explained. "We should still monitor her memory to see how consistent it is." He walked into April's room with Owen following him from behind. "Hello, April."

"Hi, Dr. Shepherd," she tearfully said. "I'm sorry. I'm a little confused right now."

Derek stood beside her bed. "That's alright. I should explain a few things to you, but there's no need to panic," he insisted. "You suffered a few injuries from the car accident a few weeks ago. You fractured your skull and you had an epidural hematoma, but I stopped the bleeding in your temporal lobe and you should be fine. Dr. Torres fixed the compound fracture on your wrist and Dr. Yang found two fractured ribs pressing against your lung. Fortunately, they didn't puncture through, so you only had a pulmonary contusion."

April slowly nodded. "And my baby's fine? Dr. Hunt said it's a boy and he's okay."

"Yes, he's doing well. Robbins and Karev are keeping a good eye on him," Derek answered confidently. "You've been in the hospital for almost three weeks, but you experienced some post-traumatic amnesia. The most recent memory you had after you woke up was prior to your intern year at Mercy West. You could remember your family, your childhood and other past events, but you didn't know who any of us were."

"I can remember taking a taxi. I was on my way to the hospital to surprise Jackson after I arrived at the airport." April frowned. "The driver, umm… Harold? Is he okay?"

Owen nodded. "He had a fractured fibula, but he's doing fine. He was worried about you when he arrived at the hospital, actually." He noticed the flustered expression on April's face. "Do you want me to call your parents? They've been staying in Seattle since your accident. Even though it's late, we'll allow them to see you after visiting hours."

"My parents are _here_?" April laughed to herself as she shook her head. "Typical. They suddenly give a crap about me after I almost die. Of course they feel guilty now."

"What do you mean?"

"They kicked me out of their house!" she exclaimed. "Okay, so it was selfish of me to hide my pregnancy from them, but I wasn't expecting them to just throw me out. I had a day to pack up everything and get out of their house. My sisters have their own lives and I doubt they'd be thrilled about taking in their knocked up sister, so I decided to come back to Seattle. My parents never mentioned any of this?"

Owen shook his head. "No, they didn't."

April folded her arms. "I don't want to see them," she muttered. "Can I see Jackson instead, please?"

"I'll give him a call. His shift ended a couple of hours ago," Owen said and left her room.

Derek pulled a chair close to April's bed and sat down. "How's your head? Any pain?"

"No, but I think my dressings need a change," she softly giggled. "Or I'm just one of those patients who demands everything to be perfect while I heal."

"I'll have somebody come in and do that for you. Plus, Callie's supposed to give you a new cast and see how your wrist is healing. Yang will probably check your ribs as well. We can do that in the morning." Derek patted April's hand and smiled. "It's nice to have you back, April."

April returned the smile. "Thank you. I hope the others feel the same way."

* * *

Jackson's cell phone sat on the bar counter beside his new glass of whiskey. He switched it to silent mode, so calls wouldn't interrupt his lonely drinking party. He felt like crap. His day was going just fine until he overheard April's conversation with Alice. It was equivalent to getting the wind knocked out of him. The best way to cope with it was to drink for the night. He could sleep in the following morning since he had the day off.

His cell phone flashed a call from Owen on the screen, but he was too drunk to notice. There was one missed call after another, all of them he ignored. Finishing his last drink, while losing count of how many he had, he placed his empty glass on the counter. His head soon followed as he fell asleep at Joe's.

* * *

**Whoops... the reunion will have to wait ;D Check back Thursday for chapter 10!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Happy Grey's Day- oh, wait. There isn't a new episode tonight! Grrr, but here's a new chapter for you ;) It's longer than usual, but I couldn't find a good place to split it and to be honest, didn't want to. Anyway, enjoy chapter 10! Thanks for the reviews, folks!**

* * *

Owen had given up on calling Jackson after the twelfth time he tried reaching the Plastics fellow. It was clear to him that Jackson wasn't going to answer, for whatever reason, so he decided to wait until morning to try again. He spent the rest of the night at the hospital, sleeping in an on-call room close to April's room. He stood in front of the OR board, overlooking the numerous surgeries written on the wall.

Callie stepped next to Owen and looked at the OR board. "Busy day today."

"Busy day indeed," he agreed. "Kepner's awake. Her memory seems to be back, so if you're not busy why don't you check out her wrist and recast it right now?"

"I'm on it," Callie said and walked into April's room. She smiled as she stood at the foot of the bed. "Hey, heard the good news from Hunt. Welcome back, Kepner."

"Thank you, Dr. Torres," April chirped.

Callie briefly walked out of the room to get a wheelchair for April. "Since you took care of me after my accident it's only right I return the favor. I'm taking you down to Ortho, so I can get an X-ray of your wrist and recast it." She carefully helped April out of her bed and into the wheelchair. "I'm assuming Hunt explained everything to you."

"He did. So did Dr. Shepherd." April sighed as Callie pushed her wheelchair out of her room. "Is it just me or does this city put a curse on everybody who enters it? We're hardly safe at the hospital, let alone outside of it."

Callie chuckled. "It's not just you. So much crap has happened to all of us that I don't know how we manage to continue living like it's not a big deal." She quickly shrugged. "You know what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"Yeah, literally," she agreed. "How's Jackson been?"

"He's doing alright. He was scared as hell when he found out what happened to you and he's handling the baby daddy business pretty well," the orthopedic surgeon explained.

April let out a sigh of relief. "Good. That's good. I wasn't sure how he'd react. I mean, how would you react if Arizona showed up with a 6-month old baby bump and you had no idea she was pregnant in the first place?"

Callie smiled as she pushed an elevator button. "First, that would never happen without my knowledge because men are like cooties to Arizona. But let's say it did happen. I would ask her who knocked her up and if he's a decent donor, I'll celebrate." She laughed when April raised her eyebrow at her. "That was a joke. I would probably kill her."

"You'd still love her, right?"

"I think so, yeah, but like I said that would never happen. Arizona wouldn't cheat on me with another man… unless she suddenly finds Karev attractive, which would be gross." Callie entered the elevator with April, pushing a button to the third floor afterwards. "So you and Jackson… not entirely unexpected, but the pregnancy part – why didn't you tell him when you found out?"

"I freaked out when the test came out positive. I was really, really scared. He's trying to get his career started in Plastics and I just thought a baby would hold him back," she unhappily said. "He would tell me about the surgeries he did when we talked on the phone and he seemed excited about them. I couldn't kill his spirits by throwing a baby at him."

"He obviously wasn't being straight with you because he had more mood swings than I did when I was pregnant. Jackson was miserable without you," Callie admitted. "He never flat out said he was in love with you, but when I saw him walking through the hospital looking like his dog died I had a feeling something was up. He was by your side every day after you woke up, though your parents aren't fans of him."

"Well, when they found out I was pregnant I refused to tell them who the father was." April grimaced. "How harsh were they to him?"

Callie smirked. "Your dad punched him and knocked him out when they arrived and your mom bitchslapped him on another day. That's how much they love Jackson."

April rolled her eyes. "They kicked me out of their home. I'm 30 years old and they treated me like I'm some teenager on _16 & Pregnant_. I disappointed them enough when I failed my boards. I'm like a total failure to them now," she whined.

"I've been there before. My parents cut me off financially for a while after I came out to my father. My mother still doesn't fully accept Sofia because I had her out of wedlock, so you're not alone," she assured her. "And you won't be raising your baby alone either. Jackson loves your son. So does his mother."

"C-Catherine's okay with it?"

"Very. She was ecstatic that you lost your virginity to Jackson," she answered. Callie softly laughed at April's panicked facial expression. "Relax. She's like the last person you need to worry about. Your parents will come visit like they've been doing since they got here and you're gonna have to confront them about what they did to you. They'll probably not want to hear it. In fact, they wanted you to put your kid up for adoption, but your pre-Mercy West self was keen on keeping him."

April shook her head in disgust. She always had a close relationship with her parents until recently. The pregnancy put a dent in their relationship and she wasn't sure if they would ever be close again. "I can't believe them, trying to brainwash me like that. When can I see Jackson?"

"I think he's off today. I'm sure somebody will give him a call before the day's over."

"Damn. I'm gonna have to deal with my parents without him. This sucks," she complained.

"The wait will be worth it," Callie said and winked. Pushing April out of the elevator, she took her to the Orthopedics department and into an empty examination room. "You're lucky, you know. Your TBI affected your memory, while mine forced me to relearn basic motor skills. The PT sucked. All you need is PT for your wrist, which will suck too, but at least it'll be less hectic."

April softly laughed. "I'm not so sure lucky is the right word. I bet it was pure hell for you guys to have to help me remember things. I know how much you all love me at this hospital," she said sarcastically.

"Oh, c'mon. We like you, April. Maybe not Yang, but she's a recluse outside of Teddy and Meredith… and sometimes Sofia. She and Owen are still on the rocks. It's kind of sad, to be honest." Callie stretched out April's arm on a table. She sat on a stool beside her and started sawing open her cast. "Ever break a bone before?"

"Just my nose," she shyly said, embarrassed. "It wasn't my fault, though. I… umm, I had to get a nose job."

Callie eyed April's nose and she slowly nodded, impressed by whoever fixed her nose. "Not bad. Looks natural." She removed the cast, looking down at the discoloration and scar on April's pale skin. "Isn't that beautiful? Your stitches were removed last week."

April stared at her wrist feeling slightly disgusted. "I know I should be used to seeing stuff like this, but it's different when it's your own body."

"I know what you mean," she agreed. Callie gently pressed her thumb against April's wrist. "How does that feel?"

"A little sore."

Callie grabbed April's hand. "Squeeze for me," she ordered. The wince on her face let her know how uncomfortable it felt. "It's alright. You'll be able to regain your muscle strength when you start PT." She stood up, turning on a mini C-arm machine. "Instead of having to wait for the sloths in Radiology to produce us some X-rays, I'll just use this instead. It's quicker and more reliable."

"I've never seen this in the hospital before."

"Maybe you should've gone Ortho with me instead," she replied with a smirk. Regardless of how grating April's voice was at times, Callie believed she could have turned her into a bone breaking badass. "Then we could've played with this toy together." The orthopedic surgeon set up the machine before she carefully placed April's wrist underneath a scope. A live fluoroscopic picture of her left wrist appeared on a computer screen. She pointed at the healing ulna, which was supported by a thin metal plate and screws. "Looks good, but it's still very fragile. Your wrist will be in a cast for another two or three weeks."

"And the plate?"

"It could be in there for the rest of your life depending on how comfortable you are with it," Callie answered. "It varies from person to person. Some think it's a pain in the ass, others don't notice it. We'll have to wait and see how you respond to it when your wrist is completely healed. You can operate with the plate and screws in there, okay? I have a feeling that's your biggest worry."

April sighed as she nodded. "I should probably worry about my boards first. Anyway, thank you, Callie. You probably had the easiest job out of everybody. I'm glad you guys didn't kill me, especially Yang. It was most likely her wildest dream to do that," she sheepishly said.

Callie chuckled as she turned off the mini C-arm machine. "Cristina can be a bitch, but she's not _that_ cold-hearted." She brought April back to the table to recast her wrist. "Your son's doing well, though I don't think Arizona will let you anywhere near the NICU until that infection of yours heals."

"I figured as much. I understand your pain now."

"Yeah, but Jackson has a ton of pictures and videos he can show you until you're better. He's been really good with that."

"You know, if I hadn't gotten into that car accident I had plans to barge into the hospital, search for Jackson and ask him to marry me. And maybe, just _maybe_ he'd be too distracted to notice the baby bump," she confessed. April sheepishly grinned at Callie. "You think that would've worked?"

"Not a chance," Callie answered and smiled. "But I think he'd totally accept your proposal. He may even already be thinking about proposing to you, so it's a win-win situation now."

April continued to grin as she bit her lower lip. It felt like years since she last saw Jackson. "I can't wait to see him again."

* * *

As Callie pushed April's wheelchair to her room, Alex waited by the nurses' station. He quickly walked towards them, intercepting her wheelchair and turning her around. "I'll take it from here," he casually said.

"Karev, what are you doing?" Callie asked curiously.

"Taking her to the roof, so I can push her off the edge like I've always wanted to. What do you think?" Alex sneered. "I'm taking her to see Jordan for a few minutes. And I know, no direct contact. I'll bring her back safely, alright? Don't go snitching on me to your wife."

"Fine, but I had nothing to do with this."

Alex continued pushing April's wheelchair to Peds. He would never be the first to admit it, but he did miss April when she was gone. Her cooking really spoiled him when they were roommates. The guys usually spent five out of seven days a week ordering take out or having late night visits to 24-hour fast food restaurants after their shifts. He could live with having to listen to her voice for the rest of his life if it meant he could come over for a good meal once in a while.

"So uhh, I did a bunch of maneuvering in the NICU, so Jordan's crib is next to the window. You'll be able to see him from outside of the room in the hallway," he explained. "Robbins would kill me if she knew I let you inside."

"His name's Jordan?" she asked, smiling. "I like that name. Whose idea was it?"

"Avery's, but you chose Charles for his middle name. It's a nice tribute to the big doofus in the sky." Alex heard the sounds of an obnoxious horn echoing in the hallway and rushed April into an empty patient room. He peered through the blinds as Arizona drove by in her red scooter. He stuck his head out into the hallway, watching her drive away until she turned the corner. "That was close."

April giggled as Alex pushed her out into the hallway. "How is Dr. Robbins anyway? Is her leg better?"

"She can walk just fine with it as long as she has her cane, but the scooter helps her get around faster," he answered, shaking his head. "I hate that piece of crap. She's a freakin' mad woman when she rides that thing. She almost ran over my foot the other day."

"And Lexie? I think the last time we talked she said she was using crutches now."

Alex nodded. "She's doing alright too. A total whiner when it comes to physical therapy, but not as annoying as you."

April looked up at Alex and smirked. "I see things haven't changed with you, Alex. You missed me though, didn't you? It's okay to admit it. Nobody else is around, so your secret's safe with me."

"Yeah, yeah. I missed you, Kepner. Happy now?" He smiled when she softly squealed. It didn't hurt to make an effort to get along with her. She wasn't his Chief Resident anymore, so he wouldn't have to deal with her bossing him around like in the past. He hoped she would spend more time nagging Jackson and less time being a pain in the ass to him. "Anyway, you're stuck with me for life. Jackson asked me to be Jordan's godfather yesterday. Well, he's planning on asking Sloan too except we both know Jordan will want to hang out with his cool Uncle Alex more."

"No tattoos, piercings or pimping him out to skanks," she ordered. "And his first word better not be 'dude' or 'whatever' or any profane words."

Alex pinched his finger and thumb together. "You know, I'm this close to changing my mind about being nicer to you," he muttered. "But whatever. I bet he'll learn how to say 'Uncle Alex is an idiot' before I teach him anything profound."

"It's possible," she joked. "So, Jordan. He's doing okay? I didn't even know I was having a boy, but that was my gut feeling when I was pregnant."

"Yeah, he's good. His heart and breathing rates are normal. He's gaining weight at a steady pace. To be honest, I was always optimistic about him because there's nothing toxic about you. Knowing how overly cautious you are about everything, I had a feeling you had a smooth pregnancy up until the accident." Alex decided to change the subject. "How the hell were you able to hide it from your parents?"

"I drove to Toledo for my appointments. My mom was teaching at the local school and my dad was busy selling crops from the farm, so it was easy in the beginning," she replied and sighed. "As I got bigger, I started wearing sweatshirts to hide the bump. It wasn't even the bump that got me in trouble. My mom was cleaning out some stuff in my room and she found the sonogram pictures in my closet. It got messy after that."

"Umm, yeah. Your boxes arrived at the apartment. A warning that you were moving back would've been great. Banks lives in your room now."

April gasped. "You gave my room to that pig?" She shook her head in disgust. "And he took _my_ job. Do you know what he said to m-"

"Ah, here we are. NICU," he interrupted her, letting out a sigh of relief. He wasn't in the mood to listen to her rants. Alex set April's wheelchair beside the wall, enough for her to turn and face the window without messing up her infected wound. He pointed out Jordan, who was directly across from her in his crib. "There he is. All healthy three pounds of him."

April turned her head, looking at Jordan through the window. He was awake on his back, his duck beanie surrounding his head and his baby blanket from Jackson covering his body. Her face lit up as she placed her left hand against the window. She couldn't stop smiling. "Hi, Jordan. I'm sorry it took a while for us to meet, but I'm here now. I love you so much," she softly said.

Alex was inside of the room wearing a light pink gown, then he slipped his hand inside of the crib and picked up Jordan's hand. He playfully waved it at April with a goofy grin on his face making her laugh. He used the visit to also check on the baby's vitals.

April's eyes were glued to Jordan. She had tears in her eyes – happy tears. Unlike the first time she met Jordan, she felt an instant connection with him. There was always an emotional attachment to him since she saw the first ultrasound image of him, but now she could really call herself a mother. She knew it was her baby, her little Jordan. She was looking forward to the day she could finally hold him.

She wished she could have seen how Jackson was with him. If he was handling fatherhood well like Callie had told her, then she didn't doubt he would be a good dad. Seeing Jordan only made her want to see her best friend even more, but nobody was able to contact him since last night.

Alex stepped out of the room and stood next to April's wheelchair. "He's still healthy. Nothing can take down this kid."

"Have you been able to reach Jackson?"

"Uhh, no. In fact, he never came home last night," he recalled. Alex bumped into Kevin, who arrived home from his night shift, as he was leaving the apartment that morning. He knew his roommate had the day off and even waited up for him for a few hours before he went to bed, but he didn't show up. "His phone keeps going to his voicemail."

"Do you think something happened to him?" she asked worriedly.

Alex slowly shrugged. He didn't want to panic April by agreeing with the possibility. "He could be sleeping in. I'll give him another call later." The Peds fellow started pushing her back to her room. "In the meantime, I gotta send you back to your room. You need to stay in bed and heal."

"Well, thank you for doing this for me, Alex. It may be the nicest thing you've ever done. I know you kind of hate me," she awkwardly said.

"Dude, I don't hate you. You just got on my nerves," he assured her. "But uhh, I think it's different now. Maybe you'll still get on my nerves every now and then, but you're not _that_ bad. You make it easy to pick on you, that's all." Alex chuckled. "Besides, you punched Banks. Jackson told me about it. Bad-freakin'-ass."

April softly laughed, still somewhat embarrassed by that incident. "Thanks… I guess." While it was nice talking to Alex without the typical bantering between them, all she wanted to know was where the hell Jackson was at the moment.

* * *

A clanking sound alarmed Jackson as he woke up from his sleep. Opening his eyes, his vision hadn't cleared up immediately, but he could tell he wasn't in his bedroom. The horrendous stench let him know he definitely wasn't at his apartment. Alex and Kevin didn't make the apartment smell _that_ bad. His body was in the fetal position and resting on a metal bench. As his vision became clearer, he noticed he wasn't alone. Two husky men who looked to be members of a motorcycle gang stared at him from a few feet away. The gray vertical and horizontal bars, the sounds of people shouting at each other, the uncomfortable bed. It meant he was at the only place he never imagined being in. Ever.

_Jail_.

Jackson instantly sat up only to grab his head and grimace. Hangover. Big, big hangover. It reminded him why he rarely drank as heavily as he did. He didn't consider himself a lightweight. He just refused to follow his father's footsteps in becoming an alcoholic. His head throbbed like crazy. It may have been the worst hangover he's ever had.

He rubbed his eyes, groaning in pain. He hoped he hadn't done anything stupid, but if he was in jail, he must have done _something_. Jackson lifted his head as he heard the two husky men whispering amongst each other while they stared at him.

"Uhh… umm, if… if you plan on jumping me, I want you to know that I just became a father and uhh, I'm a young plastic surgeon trying to build my career," he reluctantly informed them.

"What'd you do to get locked up in here, kid?" a man with a white and gray beard asked him.

Jackson nervously laughed. "I honestly do not know."

"Plastic surgeon, huh?" the man stood up and walked towards Jackson. He sat beside him, though the pretty boy hesitantly scooted over to give them a little distance. The man held out his left forearm, showing off a tattoo of a naked woman. "How much would it be to get rid of this one? I got grandkids now, so this one can go."

"Well, umm… I'm not quite sure," he answered, shutting his eyes to block out the light. "I'm having a hard time thinking about anything right now. I… work at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. If you visit us there, we can help you… whenever we're both released from jail."

The man chuckled and playfully slapped Jackson's back. He thought for sure he would puke up everything he drank from last night after that not so gentle pat. "What's your name?"

"Jackson Avery- err, _Dr._ Jackson Avery." Jackson slowly stood up, grimacing again when his head throbbed even more. "Excuse me for a second." He quickly checked his belt and jeans. It wasn't undone. That was a relief. Alex would have a field day at the hospital if he had been taken advantage of in jail. He walked towards the front of the jail cell and cleared his throat to get a police officer's attention. "Uhh, sir? Excuse me? I uhh, would like to leave… _please_."

The police officer turned around, staring at Jackson amused, though the latter had no idea why. "And I want world peace, but we all can't get what we want, right?"

Jackson tightly gripped the cell bars. "Listen, I don't know why I'm here nor do I know _how_ I got here," he snarled. "I would like an explanation from somebody who knows why I spent the night in jail."

"Oh, wait. Drunk guy from the bar? Hold on a minute."

Jackson rolled his eyes when the police officer left. He desperately needed some potassium to diminish his crappy hangover. A trip to the hospital was a must. He hoped his car was still in the parking lot too.

The police officer returned with another one. He was slightly older than Jackson with ridiculously long sideburns. "Jackson Avery?" He smiled when he nodded. "I'm Officer Carter. I'm a friend of Joe's. He uhh, called me late last night from the bar. Said you fell asleep and you weren't in the best condition to drive if you woke up, so he asked me to lock you up for the night in case you tried to do something harmful to yourself or other people."

"So I'm not in trouble?"

"No. Just keeping you safe. You won't have a record or anything like that."

Jackson let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God." While he was glad to know he wasn't arrested for a lewd act or stirring up trouble, he was beginning to really hate the name Joe. "Can I get out of here, please?"

"Of course," Officer Carter replied and unlocked the jail cell. He let Jackson out and led him into another room. Walking behind a counter, he retrieved his belongings and set them on the counter top. "Is this everything you had on you?"

Keys, wallet, cell phone and his bag he brings to work every day. "Yup, that's everything," he said as he gathered his things. "Do you mind if I get a ride to Seattle Grace? My car's there."

"I can take you," he offered.

"Thanks." Jackson followed Officer Carter out of the police station and immediately shielded his eyes with his arm when the sunlight blinded him. He sat in the front seat, hiding his face from the sun with his bag. "Never… drinking… that much… again."

"Why did you? Girl problems?" the officer politely asked as he drove them to the hospital.

"_Oh_, yeah," he murmured, closing his eyes again. The only person he would allow to see him in his current condition was Mark. Jackson held up his cell phone and tried to turn it on. Dead battery. He would have to wait until he was at SGMW.

He was dropped off near the entrance and thanked Officer Carter for the ride and not arresting him. Entering the main lobby, he walked to the elevators and waited for one to arrive. He constantly scanned the area for his coworkers, hoping to remain unseen by anybody. Fortunately, he got into an elevator unnoticed and rode it up to the fifth floor. He found an empty patient room and used the phone inside to call Mark.

His mentor was in the daycare center spending time with Sofia. Mark watched his daughter scribble on a piece of paper with a crayon, then he heard his cell phone ringing at his waist. He used his Bluetooth to answer the call. "This is Dr. Sloan."

"Sloan," Jackson whispered. "It's Avery."

"Avery?" Mark let out a sigh of relief knowing he could cross out 'dead in a ditch' as one of the possible scenarios he was in. "Avery, where the heck have you been? We've all been trying to call you."

"I'll explain later! I'm in the hospital. Could you just meet me on the fifth floor?" he asked anxiously. "And bring with you an IV bag. I have a major hangover and I need a hook up, stat. Room 5113. No questions. Just come with what I asked for."

"Uhh… okay. I'll be there in five." Mark hung up his cell phone, then he picked up Sofia and sat her on the tiny plastic chair he was sitting on. "Alright, Daddy's gotta go see what kind of trouble your Uncle Jackson's gotten himself into. See ya later, ladybug." He kissed the top of her head and waved at her as he left the daycare center.

He picked up a fresh bag of diluted potassium chloride that he himself used for his own hangovers before he traveled up to the fifth floor. Mark found his student lying on a bed with the blinds closed shut and the lights off. He approached him and stood beside him with a smug grin on his face. "Avery, you look ridiculous."

"Of course, I do. I have a hangover," Jackson muttered while he covered his eyes with his forearm.

"Have you looked in the mirror?" Mark pulled out a small pocket mirror from his lab coat and held it in front of Jackson's face. "I have a feeling you didn't do that to yourself."

"What?" Jackson looked into the mirror and saw for the first time the fake mustache and glasses drawn on his face with a Sharpie. The smirks and strange stares he got from the people at the police station, it all made sense now. "Dammit!"

"Oh, relax. Just rub on some acetone, soap and water and you'll be fine," he replied and laughed as he slipped on gloves. "Where the hell were you?"

"In jail."

"_Jail_?" Mark asked, quickly opening the blinds and shining the light into Jackson's eyes. "Do I need to call your mother?"

Jackson waved his arms as he shut his eyes. "No, no! Nothing happened," he insisted. "I was at Joe's and I guess I fell asleep there. Joe asked his cop buddy to lock me up for the night, so I wouldn't drive home drunk. Cop guy gave me a ride over here. I'm good."

"Okay, then." He sat on a chair next to Jackson's bed and began setting up his IV line. "So you were wasted. What's up with you?"

"April," he groaned, slightly wincing after Mark inserted the catheter into his arm. "Yesterday, I overheard her talking to her sister. She doesn't see Jordan as her kid. She's been faking it this whole time. Now that I know the truth, I don't know how to act around her. I know her memory loss is screwing with her, but we can't be in a relationship if she doesn't have an emotional connection with Jordan."

Mark softly laughed to himself. "I see," he said. He had already visited April earlier that morning and he knew whatever Jackson heard the day before meant nothing. The perky redhead rambled on and on about seeing her best friend again, but he wanted to wait to reveal to him what everyone had been wanting to tell him since last night. "You should talk to her when you're not so hungover anymore. You might surprise yourself."

"I keep reminding myself that I should be patient with her, but the selfish part of me just wants her back to normal," he continued to ramble. "I'm trying to cooperate. I feel like I've told her everything about myself. I thought telling her stories about our residency and showing her pictures would speed up the process of her memory coming back, but-"

"Holy crap, will you just shut up already?" Mark interrupted him. He shook his head and laughed again. "We're going to chill here and be quiet for the next 45 minutes, then we'll talk again. Besides, I had to cut playtime with Sofia short for you, so you owe me."

"Fine, but can you shut the damn blinds, please?" Jackson sighed after the room became dim again. "Thank you."

* * *

April relaxed on her bed, admiring the baby onesie Alice gave her before she left. She couldn't remember her sisters visiting, but Owen tried his best to recap what had happened in the last three weeks. The dressings covering her head and chest were gone and the only concern remaining was her infection. Her mood was surprisingly good for somebody who had experienced amnesia for three weeks. A lot of that had to do with seeing Jordan alive and well earlier, though she couldn't admit that in order to protect Alex from Arizona's big, bad scooter.

Her happiness seemed to deflate instantly when Joe and Karen walked into her room. She wished Owen hadn't called them, but considering they were her parents they had to be updated on her status.

"Oh, sweetie," a tearful Karen choked out as she rushed towards April. She hugged her daughter, who was less enthused about their reunion. "Dr. Hunt told us your memory's back. You have no idea how relieved we are."

"Mom, stop it," she replied, gently pushing her mother away from her. "Are you two the ones with amnesia now? Did you forget you both completely blew up at me and kicked me out of your house? You specifically said, 'Get out of our house and don't come back!' Remember?"

Karen frowned. "April, we were shocked and hurt that you were hiding your pregnancy from us. You were walking around our house, eating dinner with us, _going to church_ with us and you were lying to us until I found your sonogram pictures. How else did you expect us to react?"

"I knew you'd be upset, but I certainly wasn't expecting you to kick me out like a dog!"

Joe folded his arms. "And what would you have done if your mother hadn't discovered you were pregnant? Were you just doing to pack up and leave with the baby and not tell us?"

"Of course not! But I wanted to tell you when I was ready," April answered. "I was scared, okay? I mean, you had your whole church pray for me before my boards. Seriously, how do you think they would've reacted if they found out your perfect, little daughter was knocked up without a husband? And I wanted to tell Jackson first because he had no idea either."

"That boy is no good for you if this is what he's done to you."

"You don't even know Jackson!" April yelled, throwing her arms up in the air. "And you punched him, Dad?! Are you kidding me? You never liked Libby's husband, yet you've never hit him before, but Jackson? He's a sweet guy and he's my best friend."

"Were you two dating?"

"No, but-"

"See? Even the nicest man can take advantage of you," he argued.

April rolled her eyes. "Oh my gosh! He didn't take advantage of me!" She pointed at herself. "I'm the one who jumped on him first! This all happened after I punched this douche at a bar in San Francisco. I'm also the one who had no problem having sex in a men's restroom stall. And you know what? It felt good! Bathroom sex _felt good_." She looked out the window to see various nurses and doctors staring at her. "Do you mind?! This is a private conversation!"

Meredith pulled the door closed from outside in the hallway and walked away, dragging a very nosy Cristina along with her. "Kepner's got balls," the cardiothoracic surgeon quipped.

April sighed, trying to calm herself down by breathing in and out slowly. "I don't regret what I did… with Jackson," she continued with a softer tone in her voice. "I love Jackson. I've kind of been infatuated with him since I met him at Mercy West, but he _is_ my best friend and I know he cares about me. We umm… things were confusing before I moved back home, but I missed him. A lot. I want to be with Jackson and if my friends could freakin' find him I can tell him that."

Karen sat next to April on the edge of the bed. "I'll admit that we didn't give him a fair chance."

"Umm, yeah. Dad punched him and you slapped him."

"Let me finish. Before we knew he was the man who got you pregnant, we had a lovely conversation with him after he picked us up from the airport," she continued. "He was very concerned about you during your surgery, but he also told us wonderful stories about you two as friends. I thought you were so fortunate to have a caring friend like Jackson."

"I heard you two wanted me to put Jordan up for adoption. If you thought I'd agree with that, you're crazy," April rebuked. "I was always going to keep him. He's my baby. I saw him earlier and he's a beautiful baby. Have you seen him?" Her mouth slightly dropped open when they both shook their heads. "Why not? That's your grandson! You already have four grandchildren before Jordan, so why are you treating this one differently? Is it because I'm not married? You can't punish my son for something that's not his fault."

Karen sighed. "We raised you a specific way, so we were deeply disappointed when we found out you had premarital sex. Look at Libby. She was rebellious, but she still waited until she was married."

April started laughing. "Are you serious? Libby was sleeping around behind your back in high school. And Kimmie? She and Tom weren't innocent angels in college either. The difference between us is that I got caught and it finally hit you that I'm not perfect like you make me out to be. I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry I'm not that goody two shoes girl I used to be." She pointed at herself. "I'm going to be a good mom. I'll pass my boards this time because I have Jordan giving me all of the motivation I need. Jackson and I will be good parents. As far as I know, he already is one. Just give him a chance. He's a great guy, I promise."

Joe rubbed the top of his gray and dark brown hair. If anybody needed to apologize, it was him. "April, we're sorry for putting you through that at home. I uhh, lost my cool. Sometimes I feel like we need to protect you because frankly, all of the men in your sisters' lives are dumbasses."

April softly chuckled. "Dad…"

"But this Jackson kid. He's alright. I never let you explain yourself before, so I assumed he took advantage of you. I should apologize to him too, but he's been avoiding me as much as possible. I think I scared the living daylights out of him," he said, slightly grimacing.

"Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it," she accepted the apology with a smile on her face. "Okay, I'd really love a hug from the both of you now." April received a gentle hug from her parents. Maybe their relationship would be just fine, she thought. "I want you two to visit Jordan. He's been waiting for you."

"We will, dear. We'll see him in a bit," Karen said as she pulled away from her daughter. She took her cell phone out of her purse. "How about we call your sisters first? I'm sure they'd all love to hear from you again."

April nodded and smiled as Joe kissed the top of her head. "That'd be great."

* * *

Jackson was feeling better after receiving treatment from the IV bag Mark gave him. He had taken a quick nap on the hospital bed, while his mentor watched him the entire time. He sat up on the bed, slightly groaning. His still had a headache, but nowhere near the pain he felt earlier that morning.

"How's the hangover now, Avery?" Mark asked.

"Still crappy, but not nearly as terrible as before," he answered, rubbing his eyes. "I should go home, get some real rest… and take a shower. I feel so unclean after sleeping in a jail cell."

Mark slyly grinned at Jackson. "You don't want to visit April first?"

"What do you mean by that?" Jackson asked curiously. "And why are you smiling at me like that?"

"I just thought you know, because April's memory came back last night-" He was caught off-guard by how fast Jackson ripped out his IV line and hopped off of the bed. He was long gone before he could warn him. "You still have that Sharpie crap on your face!"

Mark's voice was barely audible as Jackson ran through the hallway. He used the stairs to run down to the fourth floor knowing the elevator would take too long to arrive. He was sprinting past everybody and nearly collided with Big Joe and Karen.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold your horses, son." Joe chuckled as his palm rested against Jackson's chest. His eyes slowly examined the drawings on his face. "You okay there? You've got some ink on your face."

"Oh!" Jackson touched his face, feeling embarrassed. "I… uhh…"

"You know, just keep that to yourself."

Jackson took a deep breath and exhaled. "Mr. Kepner, I love your daughter. I really, really care about her and our son. I would never do anything to hurt her because she's my best friend," he explained. "I'll be honest with you. You scare the crap out of me, but it's nice that you care about April as much as you do. I don't have a great relationship with my father and I can tell you and April have that. And uhh… I want to make her happy. You can't keep us apart." He shielded his face with his arms. "Not the face this time, please."

Joe simply smiled and held out his hand. "Call me Joe. You're okay in my book, Jackson."

Jackson slowly lowered his arms in confusion as he stared at Joe's open hand. He reluctantly grasped it and almost yelped when Joe pulled him closer for a hug. Karen joined the hug causing the Plastics fellow to softly laugh. "You're the kind of family who loves to hug. Cool." Deep down, he hoped he wouldn't vomit on either of them.

"I already like you a hell of a lot more than my two son-in-laws," he whispered into his ear. After they released Jackson from their hug, he patted the younger man's shoulder. "Tomorrow. You and I will have lunch. We've got a lot to talk about."

"Sure," he replied, smiling. "I'd love that. Are you two heading out?"

"We're going to see our grandson," Joe cheerfully said. "Go on now. April's been looking for you."

Jackson watched Joe and Karen walk past him, impressed by their change of heart. They were actually going to visit Jordan and he couldn't be happier. Whatever April told them must have really knocked some sense into them, he thought. He quickly snapped out of it when he remembered how close he was to April's room. Rather than running, he casually walked to her room and stopped at the doorway. She was texting away on her mother's cell phone. "Hey," he softly said as he approached her.

April dropped Karen's cell phone onto her lap when she saw him walking towards her. "Jackson…" She grinned, though she was clearly confused by the drawings on his face. "Where have you been? And why do you have Sharpie on your face?"

He skipped answering her questions and didn't hesitate to kiss her. It felt amazing kissing her again. He didn't care about how awful he looked or the fact that Mark had chased him down and was spying on them through the window. Jackson knew the April he fell in love with was back when she immediately returned the kiss. The kiss wasn't long. It was gentle and sweet, but a long time coming.

Their faces were barely an inch apart as she laughed breathlessly. "Hi," she shyly said. She noticed his eyes were glossy and she realized she had never seen him cry. "You're crying."

"I have to," he admitted. Jackson gently stroked April's cheek with his thumb and smiled. "Man, I missed you so much, April. You have no idea. I've never missed anybody as much as I missed you. You were here, but not completely here and it was driving me nuts. You couldn't remember anything about me. You know, I'm not even mad that you hid Jordan from me. It's not an issue at all anymore. I'm so in love with you and you are _not_ leaving me that easily again."

As if on cue, April started crying as well. She was never one to hold back the waterworks. "I love you too. I've always been in love with you, but I could never tell you because I didn't think you'd ever feel that way about me." She smiled as she wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck. "I saw Jordan. He's so precious. So, you're okay?"

"I'm more than okay," he assured her. "I'm going to take care of you and Jordan. We're going to be a happy family."

Mark watched the couple share another kiss. He smiled like he was a proud father as he walked away. "That's my boy."

* * *

**Yaaay, finally! :D Chapter 11 will be posted on Sunday. I'm switching to Sunday/Wednesday updates for the rest of the story. (9x03 hasn't aired yet and I'm already excited for 9x04 based on the synopsis!)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for the reviews! Someone mentioned that April/Jackson make a great looking couple and I agree! Both are pretty, pretty people and they would be even prettier if they end up together on the show :D I never once thought they were Gizzie 2.0. These two actually have good romantic chemistry with each other.**

**Enjoy chapter 11 :)**

* * *

Jackson cleaned his face using a mix of acetone, soap and water. After long, long minutes of kissing and holding April, he realized how ridiculous he looked with the Sharpie glasses and mustache drawn on his face. He was also embarrassed by how filthy he actually was having spent the previous night in jail. Maybe she was being polite by not mentioning anything, but he knew he smelled terrible. Not exactly the romantic reunion he was hoping for after her memory returned.

He rinsed his face with water in April's bathroom and dried it with a towel before he returned to her room. "Sorry about that," he said, grinning widely. He couldn't stop smiling since he kissed her for the first time in months. "I should uhh, probably explain why I had Sharpie on my face… though honestly, I don't know when that happened."

"Where were you, Jackson?" April asked curiously. "Alex told me you never came home last night."

"You are never gonna believe where I was," he started to explain as he sat down on a chair beside her bed. Picking up her right hand, Jackson forced himself to laugh knowing how awkward the next words out of his mouth would be. "I spent the night in jail."

April's eyes grew wide. "Jail?!" she gasped. "Jackson! What did you do? How did you get out? Does your mom know about this?"

"Calm down for a second," he suggested and softly laughed. "I was at Joe's last night. I had _a lot_ to drink and I think I fell asleep at the bar. Joe, he has a friend who's a cop. He had his friend lock me up, so I couldn't drive home drunk if I woke up. Umm, yeah. Nothing crazy happened. I didn't kill anybody… as far as I know."

April let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Jail… it's not something I ever want to hear from your mouth again." She reached out to touch Jackson's face. His eyes were bloodshot and his face screamed hangover. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but you look… crappy. Why did you get wasted last night?"

_Because your amnesiac self didn't want Jordan_, he thought in his head. It would have been unfair to tell her that because she wasn't herself during the time she admitted her feelings to Alice about their son. He needed to know if the normal April felt differently. "Did you want this baby? I mean, when you were pregnant… did you?"

April quickly nodded. "Yes, I did. When I found out I was pregnant I wasn't sure what to think, but from the moment I saw him on the ultrasound screen I fell completely in love with him. I wanted to keep him and I just needed to find the right time to tell you," she explained, her face showing a look of concern. "I… I'm sorry for never getting the chance to tell you the truth. Things got crazy after my parents found out. They threw me out of their house, so I was in scramble mode."

"They kicked you out?"

"Yeah," she timidly said. "They were just so upset with me. I've never seen them blow up like they did that day. They even refused to help me pack everything. And umm… I should've told you sooner, but I guess I was expecting the worst outcome and you wouldn't want any part of this."

Jackson shook his head and sighed. "I'd never turn my back on you. It's a lot to take in for sure, but you're my best friend and I love you. You could've dropped triplets on me and I'd still love you," he said and chuckled. He kissed the back of her hand. "I'm happy you're the mother of my child. I wouldn't want anyone else to be."

She blushed and it hit her how real everything was becoming. She was a mother. Her hope of ever being with Jackson was coming true. He was in love with her. Then she realized he hadn't answered her question. Instead, he answered her question with his own question. She wanted them to have an honest relationship no matter what.

"Jackson, you still haven't told me why you got drunk last night. You can tell me."

"Well… I was upset about some things you said," he told her as he slightly grimaced. "I overheard you telling your sister – Alice, I think – about how you couldn't feel a connection with Jordan. You said he didn't feel like he was yours. You wanted things to work out between us, but you weren't sure it could with Jordan in between us. Uhh, I didn't want to believe that, so I drank all night. I knew you weren't yourself yet, but it still hurt to hear it. I just wanted to make sure you don't feel that way with your memory back now."

"Oh, no. No, no, no. I don't feel that way at all," April assured him. She had a hard time believing Jordan meant nothing to her. Jackson obviously took it hard if he was wasted enough to spend the night in jail. "Whatever I said before, I don't even know who that person is. Jordan's my son and I _know_ he is. He's my baby. _Our_ baby."

Jackson smiled and stood up to kiss April. He leaned forward enough without crushing her incision as he pressed his lips against hers. "You know," he said in between kisses. "I bumped into your dad before I got here and uhh, we're having lunch together tomorrow."

"Really?" She gently pushed him away to look at him. "Are you okay with that? I heard he punched you, so if you're not comfortable around my dad you don't have to meet with him."

"Actually, he thinks I'm pretty awesome now," he gloated. "I don't know what you said to him, but thank you. That takes a lot of pressure off of my shoulders. I've seen pictures of him before, but he's a giant in person."

April giggled. "That's good. I'm glad you two can get along," she said before she kissed Jackson again.

Lexie entered the room to find the couple making out inside. "Geez, April gets her memory back and you two are already at it like lovestruck teenagers," she teased.

April instantly pulled away from Jackson, adjusting her hair and sheepishly grinning at Lexie. "Now you know how I felt every time I walked in on you and Jackson together," she playfully retorted. "Anyway, it's so nice to see you again, Lexie."

"Meredith told me your memory came back, so I had to come by and visit," she said and gave April a hug. "So, you can remember everything now?"

"I think so, but I guess the things I learned after the accident kind of disappeared. Like, I thought Jordan died because I noticed I wasn't pregnant anymore," she recalled. "But everyone I've seen so far has been helpful with updating me on what I forgot, so I'm alright."

Lexie settled into an empty chair, setting her crutches against the edge of April's bed. "That's great news." She clapped her hands together and grinned. "Now I can ask you and Jackson to be in my wedding! Well, Jackson doesn't have a choice because Mark will force him to be in it. I do want you both in it, though. Please say you're both in."

April looked at Jackson, who simply shrugged, then she smiled at Lexie. "Of course, we'll be in it. Wow, I feel so honored. I mean, I didn't think you ever thought of me as that close of a friend."

"Oh, April. We're way past the whole 'I hate April' thing. You're my friend, okay?" Lexie patted April's cast. "Besides, you and I are like, the Death Dodging Duo now. We both avoided getting shot by Gary Clark and we also survived horrible accidents. We bond through tragedy!"

"We're soldiers!"

"Yes, we are!" Lexie agreed and exchanged a high-five with April.

Jackson raised his hand. "Umm, can I be a soldier too? I still don't quite understand the whole soldier thing," he admitted. April responded by smacking his head with one of her pillows. "Must be some secret PMS code then."

* * *

The next day, Jackson and Big Joe met for lunch at a diner two blocks away from the hospital. He wasn't exactly prepared for what their conversation would consist of. The father-son chats rarely occurred between him and Harper Jr. He wanted to form a bond with Joe and earn his trust. Aside from the polite "Hello, how are you doing?" exchange, they were both fairly quiet until they ordered their lunches. They sat across from each other in a booth. Joe eyed the two glasses of water slightly shaking on the table due to Jackson's uncontrollable leg jittering and finger tapping.

"I don't bite, Jackson. There's no reason to be nervous." Joe couldn't help but laugh at the anxious doctor. He had a history of intimidating the men his daughters brought home, except he wanted Jackson to feel comfortable. He was feeling good vibes from him. Plus, he usually wasn't an easy guy to impress.

"I… umm, I… sorry," Jackson stammered. He picked up his glass of water and drank half of its contents. He personally hated being drilled by overprotective fathers in high school and now, he had to go through it again with April. "Talking to dads isn't typically something I like to do. Mainly because my own dad never cared to sit down and talk with me." He softly laughed. "I've never been punched by a dad either."

"I apologize for that. I'll admit, I do get overprotective when it comes to my four girls. April, especially," Joe explained. He sipped his water before he continued. "I wanted to have a one-on-one talk with you because you need to understand why I do what I can to protect April. She… she hasn't been very lucky when it comes to finding a man to love her. Her sisters haven't had that kind of trouble, but April… I like to refer to her as a late bloomer. High school for her was disastrous."

Jackson wasn't surprised. She had told him stories about high school in the past. She described it as "a living Hell". It was that traumatizing for her. "So I've heard. April once told me she loved the academic side, but completely hated the social aspect of high school."

"Did she tell you about Barry?"

"Who's Barry?"

"This boy in her class. Barry Evans, I think was his name. He was this All-American, big man on campus. Everybody in town worshipped him. Star quarterback of the football team," Joe recalled. "During their senior year, he took an interest in April. He needed help with Physics, so he asked her to tutor him. April had this big crush on him. Well, every girl in school practically did. He was what she called 'the perfect man' in her mind. Anyway, he was a good kid. He came out and helped me on the farm on the weekends."

Jackson had a bad feeling the story wasn't going to end well, but he grew curious. "So, umm… what happened?"

"Senior Prom was coming up. April and Barry had been hanging out a lot by then. He asked me if he could take my daughter to prom, so of course I agreed. Little did I know, he wasn't planning on asking April. He used her to get closer to her younger sister, Kimmie. Can you believe it? He turned out to be a conniving bastard," Joe continued, shaking his head in disgust. "And to make matters worse, Kimmie still went to prom with him. She was just a freshman. April was devastated. She locked herself in her room on her prom night and cried. If I could get away with it, I would've fired my shotgun at him right between the eyes. It was the first and last time I let any man take advantage of April like that."

"And you thought I was just another Barry taking advantage of her," Jackson connected the dots. He barely knew this Barry guy and he hated him already. At the same time, he wished he could meet him and gloat about how stupid he was for overlooking a sweet and lovable woman like April.

Joe nodded as he drank more water. "You're spot on. Based on your appearance alone, you seemed like the type of guy who would hang out with Barry. You were a jock, weren't you?"

"I was, but I'd never do what he did to April."

"Yes, I can see that now." He sighed. "When her mother and I found out she was pregnant we both just assumed she was pressured into having sex. Out of our four daughters, April was the only one who took a vow of chastity seriously. She really wanted to wait until she got married, so it seemed very unlike her to just have sex with someone. We hadn't heard anything from her about having a boyfriend since… she was in medical school. So, we were shocked and hurt that she couldn't be open with us about it."

Jackson slightly smiled. "Well, to be fair, I didn't know either. We talked on the phone a lot and she never told me. I had no idea until her car accident." His smile quickly turned into a frown. "Worst day of my life. If she died and I never got the chance to tell her I love her, I don't know how I could live with myself. It killed me that I couldn't stop her from going home to Ohio. I seriously thought I might have lost her for good."

"When did you know?" Joe asked intrigued. "That you loved my little girl?"

Jackson could pinpoint the exact day he finally realized he was in love with April. It was the day after she flew back home to Moline. He woke up that morning feeling miserable after his attempt to keep her in Seattle failed. Normally, he could smell the breakfast she was cooking, but the kitchen was empty. Her section in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom was empty. Her bedroom was empty except for the naked bed and her desk. The light pink and purple that filled her bedroom was a plain white instead. He had never felt so heartbroken over a woman leaving him before and they hadn't even been a couple. That was when he knew for sure and he completely regretted not telling her how he felt at the airport. He constantly thought about chasing after her, surprising her in Moline and asking her to return to Seattle with him. But he feared rejection, so he didn't bother trying to buy a plane ticket to Ohio.

"The morning after she left," he answered. "I wanted to give her space. She needed the space, but I really missed her. She's my best friend, so how could I not miss her? But then I realized it wasn't just her friendship I missed. It was everything about her. Her smile, her laugh, her tendency to bite her lower lip whenever she was shy or nervous. Nobody's ever given me the kind of feelings she did. I thought I was in love before, but April… she made me realize what it was truly like to be in love with someone."

Joe smiled at Jackson. "When are you proposing to her? You do plan on marrying her, right?"

Jackson raised both of his eyebrows, surprised by how straightforward Joe was. "Well, I did want to ask for your permission fir-"

"Don't bother," he interrupted him. Joe reached across the table and playfully slapped Jackson's shoulder. He tried not to wince, but damn. It didn't seem like the man recognized his own strength. "Go for it, son."

It weirded him out that Joe kept calling him "son". His own father never acknowledged him like that and Joe had already called him that a couple of times. Must be a Midwest thing, he thought. Or perhaps it wasn't and he got stuck with the father who wasn't so traditional. If Big Joe turned out to be a cool father-in-law, then he didn't mind being called that.

Jackson cleared his throat and quickly nodded. "Uhh, thank you… sir."

"I said you can call me Joe, but I like your politeness. My current son-in-laws don't show a ton of respect when they visit, but you're different. You came from a well-respected family, didn't you?"

"In a way, yeah," he reluctantly replied. "My grandfather, he has an award named after him. It's every surgeon's dream to win that award. Well, not mine. I think if I ever won, people would automatically claim it was nepotism. I feel enough pressure being an Avery. I hate it when people kiss my ass because I'm Harper Avery's grandson. It happens a lot."

"And your father?" Joe asked curiously. "What's your relationship like with him? You said you two never sat down just to talk about anything."

Jackson looked down at the table and played with his fork, twirling it around in between his fingers. "It's nonexistent. He moved out when I was 17. He was a surgeon and workaholic. My grandfather put a lot of pressure on him to be as great as him and it ruined him. He became an alcoholic, but I have no idea where he is now," he glumly explained. "He wasn't much of a father anyway. I never told April what happened to him. She assumes he's dead. Actually, I did tell her, but that was before her memory returned. I don't think she remembers me telling her the truth now."

"It must have been hard for you to grow up without a father figure."

"Yeah, but I want to make up for that lost time by being a good dad to Jordan," he said and softly laughed. "I used to think I would never want kids. Too much work, too big of a responsibility. Because I'm a surgeon I didn't think I'd have time to be a parent. My dad certainly didn't nor did he try to find the time. Then seeing Jordan made me reconsider my feelings about being a father. I want him to grow up happy. I want him to know his parents love him and would do anything for him."

"You'll be good," Joe assured him and smiled. "April's lucky to find a caring man like you."

Jackson looked at Joe and grinned. "I tend to think it's the other way around. She was always there right in front of me, but it still took me a long time to find her."

* * *

Owen walked into April's room for a much needed talk. She was relaxing in her bed with Karen sitting by her side. He stood in the doorway, taking a moment to watch them interact. April looked like her mother and they had the same laugh too. It was refreshing to see his student happy again. He hoped what he wanted to tell her would add on to her happiness.

He cleared his throat, trying to interrupt their conversation in the nicest way possible. "Dr. Kepner, I don't mean to get in the way of whatever you and your mother are talking about, but I'd like to have a word with you. Your mother can stay for this too."

April nodded and smiled. "Sure. Come on in."

Owen entered her room and sat beside her bed. He greeted Karen, who was sitting at the opposite side of the bed, then he turned to face April. "It's been a rough few months for everyone here. I know it has been for you, especially. I should have never fired you, April. You failed your boards because I failed you as your mentor. My head was hardly in the game when it came to teaching you. I had my issues and I put those issues above almost everything else. I should've been teaching you instead of treating you like an intern."

"Dr. Hunt, it's okay. Really-"

"No, it's not okay. You have the potential to become a great surgeon," he continued. "And I want to make it up to you. I want to make up for the lost opportunities when I should've been teaching you. When you went berserk during your trauma certification lab I knew you had it in you. You're crazy and I mean that in a good way. Only crazy people can handle trauma. You and I, we're nuts because we love trauma."

April softly laughed. "You and Karev use that word very differently when describing me."

"With that aside, I want you to take it slow. You'll need more time to heal and rehab your wrist, but when you're cleared to return to work I want you back in this hospital where you belong. We'll ease you back into the OR at your own pace. While we do that, I will help you prepare for the boards," Owen offered.

"But umm… I have a baby to take care of. I don't know if I'll have the time to do everything I want to do."

"April, I can always come back to help you with Jordan," Karen added. "The school can hire a substitute for me and I'll be here whenever you need me. Your father and I want you to succeed in what you love doing. If you and Jackson are busy, I'll be happy to watch Jordan for you."

Owen gestured his hand towards Karen. "See? It won't be as difficult as you think. Plus, the daycare center will be here to help if your parents aren't here." He placed his hand on April's shoulder. "You don't need to worry about the boards right now. Your priorities are healing, resting and bonding with your son. I won't let the same mistake happen again. You're passing your boards this time."

It was touching to see the warmer side of Owen again. For the past year, he had been under a lot of stress and sometimes April felt he unnecessarily took it out on her. She knew he had a caring side, but it had been a long time since he showed it. She could see he sincerely meant what he had just told her. It slightly bothered her that he blamed himself for her failing her boards. She always pinned the blame on herself because she was in a state of confusion and panic after her night with Jackson. But she did feel that lack of teaching from him. All of the residents had a good mentor-student relationship with their attendings except for her. He was the Chief, so she understood he couldn't devote the same amount of time teaching as everyone else, but he also didn't show much dedication in mentoring her. She was grateful that he admitted he messed up and wanted to give her another chance.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Hunt. I promise I won't let you down again," April gleefully said.

Karen got up from her seat as her cell phone rang in her hand. "That's your father. I'll step out for this one."

April waited for her mother to leave her room, then she grabbed Owen's wrist just as he was about to stand up. "Umm, how are you… and Dr. Yang?" she asked, appearing concerned. "Are you two umm… good yet?"

"We're working on it," he responded unhappily. "We're still… trying to figure things out."

"Maybe… maybe if you two tried talking about the abortion-"

Owen shook his head. "It's not just the abortion," he murmured. "I did something. In retrospect, it was the most idiotic and hurtful thing I've ever done. I was angry and hurt at the time and-"

April gasped. "Oh, gosh. You… _cheated_ on her?" she whispered, her face clearly surprised. He could only nod, then she slightly frowned. "I'm sorry, Dr. Hunt. This is between you and Cristina and I shouldn't be butting my nose into your marriage problems."

Owen raised his hand. "It's fine, April. It's something we don't really talk about." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "She's here for Teddy, not me. I don't know what else to say or do anymore. She doesn't want to talk and I can't force her to. We only end up fighting. I'm just… I'm not ready to give up, but I don't know how much longer we can stay this way."

"Well, I'm certainly not an expert in relationships, but I do know that communication is the key to a healthy relationship. If you and Cristina aren't talking, then nothing will ever be fixed," she advised. "I know Cristina can be stubborn, but to be honest, so can you. But there's a reason why you two fell in love with each other. And she's not married to Teddy. She's married to you. She could've left for Mayo, but she didn't. I think she wants things to work out, but she has no idea where to start either. You two should figure that out together."

Owen slowly nodded, letting April's advice sink in. He stood up and managed to smile. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." He began to leave, then he turned around on his heel. "I'm going to talk to Dr. Montgomery. I'll see if you can go visit Jordan in NICU later."

April instantly grinned. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Dr. Hunt." She was in her happiest mood since… she wasn't really sure, but she could see there was nowhere to go but up from here.

* * *

Lunch with Big Joe turned out to be better than he expected. The man Jackson once feared was actually a laid back and warmhearted guy. He eventually relaxed around him as they talked about a variety of topics. Joe told him childhood stories about April that he hadn't heard before. Jackson opened up about what it was like to grow up with a famous name in the surgical world. He talked about the day he met April. He felt comfortable around her father.

The fact that he had Joe's support in proposing to April, he didn't want to wait any longer. He was going to propose that same day as soon as he returned to the hospital. Jackson didn't have a specific plan on how he would pop the big question, but he just knew it was the right time. He still had to work for the rest of the day, so he changed into his scrubs and lab coat before he made his way to April's room. He was determined and confident.

_She'll say yes_, he told himself in his head. Jackson already had a huge smile on his face when he reached her room. "April, I- what the hell?"

April wasn't in her room. The bed was empty and the sheets were messy as if she had just gotten up and left. Operation Propose Now was quickly turning into a bust.

"Uhh…" He turned around to see Mark standing at the nearby nurses' station. "Sloan, where's April?"

"Addison took her down to NICU, so she could hang with Air Jordan," Mark answered while he wrote notes in a chart.

Jackson approached Mark with a grin on his face. "I'm going to propose to her," he proudly said. "I'm ready to do it. There's no point in waiting anymore, so I'm proposing to her right now – well, when I see her face again."

"Hey, man. Good for you," he congratulated his Plastics fellow with a hard pat against his bicep. "Where's the ring? I want to see if it matches up with the one I gave Lexie."

"I don't have one yet," he replied, rolling his eyes. Jackson raised his eyebrow at Mark. "Should I make it a little special? Hold up a rose? Hypnotize her with my eyes?"

"I've got something you can use," Mark said as he reached into his lab coat pocket.

Jackson wasn't quite sure what Mark would have that would be useful for a proposal. He hoped it wasn't a condom. Nothing romantic about _that_. His anticipation quickly deflated when he saw what his mentor pulled out of his pocket. "That's a… Ring Pop."

Mark twitched his eyebrows and grinned widely at Jackson. "Sofia loves them. I bet April does too."

"It's a _Ring Pop_, Sloan!" Jackson shook his head, placing his hands on his hips. "Are you serious?"

"Why not? It's still a ring. You can replace it with a real one later." Mark slapped the wrapped candy into Jackson's hand. "Besides, it's the thought that counts. At least you have something to give her."

Jackson pursed his lips together, slightly glaring at Mark. "It's worth a shot, I guess. Uhh, thanks." He walked away from him as he stared at the Ring Pop in his hand.

"Let me know how it goes, Avery!" Mark called out to him.

His confidence dipped a little as he walked to the NICU. All he kept thinking about was how stupid he felt for taking Mark's advice. Who proposes with a Ring Pop? Kindergarteners, of course. He envisioned April laughing at him and thinking it was a joke.

When he arrived at the NICU he stood outside for a brief moment. Through the window he saw April sitting on a chair and holding Jordan in her right arm. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but she was definitely baby talking to their son. He then realized it was her very first time holding Jordan since he was born. She didn't get to do that during her first visit, so seeing her hold him was a fun sight to see. She kissed his forehead and his little fingers and she looked beautiful doing it. He was staring at the future Mrs. Avery and he couldn't stop smiling.

April heard footsteps approaching her and she smiled when she saw Jackson. "Hey," she softly said. She looked down at Jordan, whose tiny mouth sucked on a pacifier. "He's so adorable I want to eat him up."

Jackson leaned forward and kissed the top of April's head. "How does it feel holding him for the first time?"

"So amazing," she beamed. "I can hold him forever. How was lunch with my dad?"

"It was great, actually. Big Joe is a cool dude," he answered. Jackson started gently running his fingers through April's auburn hair. "I umm… I feel like I should've asked you this yesterday, but it wouldn't feel right without talking to your dad first."

"Mhmm…" April was clearly distracted by Jordan that she didn't get the hint.

Jackson needed her attention for a minute, so he picked up her left hand and got down on one knee in front of her. "April," he nervously said. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open, letting him know she had his full attention. "You're my best friend. When you left Seattle I couldn't stop thinking about you. I was mad at myself for not stopping you at the airport. You've had these feelings for me for so long that I'm an idiot for not noticing it sooner. You're the most thoughtful and caring woman I know. You've always been there for me when I needed you. I can't imagine myself being with anybody but you. I love you and nothing would make me happier if you became my wife. So…"

Jackson reached into his lab coat pocket to retrieve the Ring Pop. He didn't care how lame it was. He thought the moment was too good for anything to ruin it. Quickly removing the candy from its wrapper, he held up the red-colored lollipop and worked his charming smile on her. "April Kepner, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?"

April choked out a laugh as tears trickled down her face. "Yes," she softly said, then she cleared her throat. "Yes! Of course, I'll marry you."

Jackson celebrated with a fist pump, then he slipped the Ring Pop onto April's left ring finger. He pushed himself up, so they were at eye level and kissed her. "I promise I'll get you a real ring soon," he mumbled against her lips and she responded with a chuckle.

"You know, I actually love it," she jokingly said as she held up her left hand to examine the Ring Pop. "I think the red complements my pale skin, but a real ring would be better. I don't think this one will last a day."

Jackson laughed, then he picked up Jordan's little hand and grinned. "Did you hear that? Mommy and Daddy are getting married." He sat beside April, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her cheek and moved his mouth close to her ear. "I love you."

April smiled and turned her head to look at Jackson. "I love you too."

It was comforting, the three of them together as a family. He normally would hold back information from Catherine and force her to pry it out of him, but he was looking forward to telling his mother about their engagement. He could already hear her joyful screaming from across the country. Yeah, it was an awesome day for the both of them.

* * *

**Chapter 12 will be up on Wednesday :) The latest sneak peek for 9x03 is making me impatient for Thursday! Gotta love how awkwardly adorable April acts around Jackson with his shirt off lol.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, folks. Here's chapter 12. We'll finally get some Japril moments tomorrow, but enjoy this one anyway.**

* * *

Engaged. April liked – no, _loved_ the sound of that. She was engaged to Jackson freakin' Avery. He chose her. Out of all of the women he had been with he chose _her_. And he didn't propose to her because he got her pregnant. He loved her and he most likely would have proposed to her whether or not Jordan was in the picture. She had two great men in her life. She became so attached to her son that the nurse almost had to physically force her to let go of him after her visit ended. Her mother was a giddy machine when she told her and Joe the news. Karen already started pitching ideas for their wedding, but April reminded her that they probably wouldn't be getting married until next year.

For Jackson, he felt like he was on top of the world. He was engaged to his best friend. His son's health improved each day and he enjoyed watching him grow since the day he was born. His fellowship in Plastics was going well. He didn't need Mark hovering over his shoulder in the OR anymore. He definitely felt more independent and confident about his abilities as a plastic surgeon. Catherine booked the earliest flight to Seattle for the weekend after she learned about April's memory returning and the engagement. She wanted to congratulate them in person.

He also wanted to ask Alex and Kevin when they were moving out of the apartment. He knew April wouldn't want to share their home with the latter since she seemed to be back to hating him again. She was going to be discharged from the hospital in a couple of weeks, which didn't give his roommates a lot of time to find a new place to live and move out.

It was a lazy Saturday. The three men were seated at the dining table eating cereal since they were all too sluggish to cook their own breakfast. Jackson took note of how messy their apartment was. It was literally April's worst nightmare, he thought. The apartment needed to be squeaky clean by the time she returned home from the hospital.

Alex poured the leftover Cheerios into his bowl, then he tossed the empty box onto the floor. "We're out of cereal," his half-awake self said, ignoring Jackson's eye roll.

"So, uhh… are you gonna pick that up?" A slightly irritated Jackson asked. He only received a scowl from Alex. Neither of them were morning people, but his roommate's response was enough to piss him off. "Okay, seriously, when are you two moving out? April will be out of the hospital soon, so you need to find your own place."

"What? Both of us have to move out?" Kevin asked surprised. "You and April will have one room, Jordan gets his own and there will be one room left to live in. C'mon, one of us can't stay?"

Alex snickered as he chewed his cereal. "Are you kidding me? Do you honestly want to live with those two when they have a crying baby waking them up in the middle of night?" He smirked at Kevin. "And April freakin' hates you again, so if anybody's staying, it's me. However, I prefer moving out because I don't want to deal with hearing them screw when Kepner's horny hormones take over."

"And we have to clean up here," Jackson added. "I am not bringing April home to a pigsty. She spent hours and hours keeping this place tidy, so she deserves to come home to a clean apartment."

"Dude, you have like two weeks until April's discharged. It's not gonna take that long to clean this apartment," Alex retorted. "Anyway, I've been talking to Meredith about renting her old house, so you can move in with me, Banks. We can split the rent and stuff."

"Good luck with that," Jackson sarcastically said. "If you two can't even keep this apartment clean, Mer's house will look like a dump within a week."

"That's why I plan on inviting a couple of chicks to move in with us," he replied, smugly grinning. "Or I can have Kepner come over once a week to clean it for us."

Jackson rolled his eyes and laughed. "Keep dreaming, Karev. April's got enough on her plate already. At least I tried to make an effort to clean the apartment. You two have been pretty worthless."

"Says the guy who proposed with a freakin' Ring Pop," Alex quipped. "Will we be playing Duck, Duck, Goose at your wedding? Oh, and if you hire a clown, make sure he's not one of those perverts who asks kids to squeeze his nose because he secretly wants them to squeeze something else."

"Shut up. I'm getting her a real ring, you ass."

Jackson hoped people wouldn't make a big deal out of the Ring Pop proposal, but even Mark thought it was hilarious. He had only been toying with him to see if his student would listen to him. He didn't think Jackson would take his joke seriously. Besides April, Lexie seemed to be the only person who thought it was adorable. Arizona called it "cute, but awkward at the same time" and Cristina initially thought he proposed to a child in Peds.

"It's your day off, so buy her a damn ring already," Alex bluntly suggested.

"I have to pick up my mom from the airport in an hour."

"Do it afterwards. Dump your mom with April, let them catch up with girl talk or whatever and sneak out to buy her engagement ring," he ordered. "It's not rocket science, Avery."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay longer?" Karen asked April concerned. Her parents were leaving for Ohio that day after spending the last three weeks in Seattle.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm doing fine, Mom. I'll be alright," April assured her. She could see the worry on her mother's face already surfacing. "Mom, I promise. My head is fine, my ribs are fine, my wrist is healing just fine and my infection's getting better. Dr. Hunt says I'll be out of here soon and I'll have Jackson to take care of me. You don't have to worry. Besides, you and Dad agreed to come back for Christmas and Alice will be here too."

Karen sighed, nodding her head. "I know. I'm sorry, but if you ever need any help whatsoever don't hesitate to call me. It doesn't matter if it's three in the morning in Moline. Just call, okay?"

April softly laughed. "I will, Mom." She looked at Joe and smirked. "And before _you_ say anything, I'm going to be fine."

"I know you will be. You've got a good man in Jackson by your side, so I'm not worried." Joe held up a large basket containing gifts for the baby. "Your mother and I went on a small shopping spree yesterday. Got Jordan a bunch of clothes, bottles and a few other things you could use when you're both out of the hospital. Expect us to spoil him more on Christmas."

"Oh, wow. Thank you!" April chirped. "It hadn't really dawned on me until now how much stuff we're going to need for Jordan. We still need to buy a crib, umm… thousands of diapers. I hope Jackson doesn't stress out about decorating a nursery."

"So you think we should stay?" Karen asked eagerly.

April placed her palm against her forehead and laughed. "No, Mom. We can handle it, but thanks anyway."

Catherine entered the room, followed by Jackson. She spread her arms out as she approached April with a grin on her face. "April, honey! I'm so relieved you're okay," she cheerfully said and hugged her future daughter-in-law.

"It's good to see you again, Dr. Avery," April replied with a smile on her face. She pulled away from Catherine and gestured her hand towards her parents. "These are my parents, Joe and Karen. Mom, Dad. This is Jackson's mom, Dr. Catherine Avery."

"Ah, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you two." Catherine walked around April's bed to greet Joe and Karen. They exchanged hugs before she clapped her hands together and squealed. "Isn't this exciting? Our babies getting engaged! Oh! Where's your gorgeous ring, April?"

Jackson cleared his throat. "Umm… I still have to get her one," he muttered.

April laughed at how embarrassed her fiancé was. "He proposed to me with a Ring Pop. It was so sweet," she explained. "But uhh, I already ate it. I couldn't let it rot on my finger."

Catherine waved her hand. "Oh, it's nothing to be ashamed of, baby. I'm sure the ring you'll get her will be beautiful." She turned her attention back to April's parents. "The last time I was here, I heard things weren't going well between you and Jackson. I assume everything's cleared up now since my son doesn't have any black eyes."

"Yes, everything is settled. There were some misunderstandings, but it's alright now. We're looking forward to having Jackson in our family," Joe answered and smiled. "You raised a fine man, Dr. Avery."

"Oh, call me Catherine. We're all practically family now since we share a grandson," she insisted, her eyes noticing the suitcases sitting next to April's bed. "Are you two flying out today?"

Karen nodded. "We are, but we'll be in town again for Christmas. Will you here around as well? It would be a nice opportunity for all of us to get to know each other better."

"Of course, I will. I wouldn't miss Jordan's first Christmas for anything." Catherine grinned at Jackson knowing he was going to love what she had to say next. "And his great grandfather will be joining us too."

"Fabulous," Jackson mumbled to himself. He looked at Joe and Karen. "Do you two need a ride to the airport? I don't mind dropping you off."

"That would be lovely," Karen accepted the offer. "Thank you, Jackson. We should probably get going. Our flight leaves in three hours, but who knows how slow they're moving at the airport?" She hugged April and kissed her forehead. "Remember, if you need any help-"

"I'll call you. I know," April finished her sentence for her and smiled. "Thank you for staying as long as you did, though. I appreciate it." Her father was next to hug her. "Thank you for not killing Jackson, Dad. And thank you for the gifts again. I'm sure Jordan will look absolutely adorable in those clothes."

Karen and Joe picked up their luggage as they walked towards the door. She turned around and blew a kiss to her daughter. "Bye, sweetie. We love you."

"I love you too."

Jackson approached April's bed and leaned towards her. "I won't take long, okay? I'll just drop off your parents and run a few errands before I come back. Besides, leaving you alone with my mother for a long time is dangerous," he jokingly said. He received a playful slap on the arm from Catherine, then he quickly kissed April's lips. "See you in a bit."

Catherine waved goodbye to April's parents and Jackson before she sat down beside her bed. "How are you doing, honey?" she asked while she patted the trauma surgeon's right hand. "You gave Jackson quite a scare a few weeks ago. Well, I'm sure everyone else was scared for you too."

"I heard. He must have felt awful the day of the accident," she glumly replied and sighed. "But I feel fine now and I'm happy. Jackson and I, we're happy. I never thought he and I would be together like this. I didn't think I stood a chance against the women he dated in the past."

"That's ridiculous," the elder woman scoffed. "My boy just needed a knock on the head to finally realize that the woman meant for him was standing in front of him all along. Do you know how hard I had to restrain myself from pushing you two together?"

April softly laughed. Catherine Avery seriously wanted them together? She knew there was a bigger reason why they were Facebook friends. She kept a mental memo to herself to friend her again after Jackson made her remove his mother from her list many months ago. "But umm… why me? I'm just a farm girl from a small town."

"You obviously weren't just a farm girl if Jackson thought you were worthy enough to be his friend," she implied. "And I knew you were a good person. Many of Jackson's friends since medical school cared more about meeting the great Harper Avery than being a real friend. I could tell you were a real friend."

"I thought you were trying to set up Jackson with that girl, Mara."

"She was my spy. I wanted to know what was happening with his life because he hardly updates me on that. I have no idea if anything happened between those two, but it doesn't matter anymore. Jackson loves you and that's what matters most," Catherine reassured her. She decided to change the subject. "Was he a gentleman with you?"

Caught off-guard by the question, April opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She cleared her throat and stared at her hands. "Umm… _what_?"

Catherine chuckled. "We're all adults here, April. Was my baby boy rough with you because if he was-"

"He wasn't!" April panicked before she could finish. She felt her cheeks getting warmer by the second. She nervously laughed, hoping she wouldn't be asked for the details. Most awkward… conversation… ever. "H-he was very… gentle and umm… understanding." _Did that even make sense?_ "Jackson was… really polite about it."

Catherine saw how embarrassed April was and squeezed her hand. "Don't feel humiliated now. I've drilled Jackson's past girlfriends a lot harder and only because I didn't like them much." She shared a laugh with her, then she grinned. "You've always been my favorite friend of his."

April shyly smiled at Catherine. "That's a relief."

* * *

_Why is choosing an engagement ring so damn difficult?_ Jackson thought to himself. He hoped he could walk into the jewelry store, buy the diamond ring that caught his eye first and leave without any problems. That turned out to be wishful thinking. He didn't want to be that guy who buys the wrong ring and his fiancé absolutely hates it. At the same time, he knew April wasn't the judgmental type when it came to material goods. She probably didn't care how big the diamond was or how much it cost. Still, Jackson wanted to buy her a ring that he felt was perfect for her.

He sat in front of a counter staring at 15 different diamond rings. All of them were attractive, yet he could only choose one. Nothing too flashy, but something that still told everyone, "Yeah, I'm marrying this amazing man." There was nothing wrong with gloating a little bit in his mind. Some of the rings were past his price range, so he decided to cut those loose. Eight rings to go.

The worker helping him patiently waited for a decision. Jackson had been at the store for about 45 minutes, just sitting in his seat and quietly contemplating what engagement ring to buy.

"You know, sometimes a man chooses a ring that matches his fiancé's personality. Maybe that'll help," she suggested.

"Hmm…" Jackson hummed as he stroked his chin. He stared attentively at the rings remaining. He couldn't see April wearing a ring with a gigantic diamond. A giant diamond was something his mother would wear. He eliminated three more rings.

Five rings were left in front of him. All of the diamonds were about the same size. There was one ring in particular that stood out to him the most. The white gold band had a simple round diamond in the middle with five smaller diamonds embedded on both sides of the ring. Not too flashy, but not too plain either. It reminded him of April – sometimes shy and reserved, but occasionally boisterous and feisty. The bar fight with Kevin proved that.

"This one," he decided, picking up the ring he chose. "I'll take this one."

"Excellent choice. I'll put this in a box for you and you can meet me at the register," she replied and took the ring from Jackson.

Jackson felt victorious when he finally chose an engagement ring for April. He paid for the ring, then he left the jewelry store with a smile on his face. He was looking forward to seeing her reaction when she saw the ring. They could officially call themselves an engaged couple once that pretty piece of jewelry was on her left ring finger.

When he arrived at the hospital he walked into April's room with the box hiding in his jacket pocket. His fiancé was sitting up on her bed, channel surfing with her remote control as she tried to find something to watch. She settled with college football on ESPN and set the remote control aside.

"Ohio State and Michigan. Good call," he said, staring at the TV while he walked towards April's bed. "So, you can watch college football when you're alone, but not at the apartment when Alex and I were home?"

April smiled at Jackson, who kicked off his shoes and sat beside her on her bed. She scooted to her right to give him more room. "I'm not a huge football fan, but my parents went to Ohio State. I have a soft side for them." She snuggled close to Jackson and kissed his cheek. "How was the car ride with my parents? Did they ask you anything uncomfortable?"

"They actually didn't. We were pretty chill. They were just wondering when we plan on getting married," he answered, his right hand tightly gripping the box in his pocket. "When do you want to have the wedding?"

"Sometime after Mark and Lexie's. I don't want to steal their thunder," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I'd like to get the boards over with before we get married. Is that okay?"

Jackson nodded. "That's fine with me. We don't have to rush into getting married. We haven't even gone out on a date yet," he noted and laughed. "Who would've thought we'd get engaged without going on a single date? Then again, we were living together before that too. Oh, and had a baby as well. Screw chronological order. Things happen for a reason, right?"

"Right. Except we could've done without the car accident and amnesia." She buried her face into his neck and groaned. "I am so ready to leave this hospital – as a patient, of course. I miss our apartment… and my bed. Well, I guess we'll be sleeping in the same bed now, but I had the bigger room. I can't believe that jackass took my room."

"For the record, Karev invited Banks to live with us. I had nothing to do with it," he said defensively. Jackson gently kissed the top of her head. "But they're both moving out. They'll be out of the apartment before you come home. And Kevin… he's not a bad guy. You two will probably be working together when you're cleared to return. It wouldn't hurt to get along with him."

"I know. You're right," she muttered. "It's just seeing him here makes me think about the boards and how I failed miserably. I was never that confident about passing, but I didn't want to see that e-mail telling me I failed either."

"Hey, you're not the only person who failed. Anyway, you gotta leave that behind you. You're getting another chance." Jackson decided to change the subject to distract her from worrying about the boards. "How was hanging out with my mom? Where'd she go anyway?"

"She left to meet up with Dr. Webber in the cafeteria," she said and sat up to look at him. "She umm, asked me if you were gentle with me when we had sex."

Jackson raised both of his eyebrows as he slowly turned his head to look at April. "Really?" He shook his head and laughed. "See what did I tell you? She's dangerous. You never know what will come out of that woman's mouth." He bit his lower lip, then he forced a grin. "I was gentle, right?"

April softly laughed. "Well, I wasn't crying in pain…"

"Yeah… the sounds you made weren't screams of pain from what I remember." He chuckled when she playfully elbowed his stomach. "What? It's true. I think you even called me God at one point."

"Jackson!" She tried her hardest to hold back her laugh and covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm so glad my parents aren't around to listen to this conversation."

"As if we'd talk about having sex with _them_ around," he sarcastically said.

April looked up at the TV, which was showing an NFL preview of the upcoming Monday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals. She pointed at the screen. "I went to high school with that guy."

Jackson couldn't believe it. The quarterback of the Cardinals was Barry Evans. _The_ Barry Evans? He was such an avid football follower, but he hadn't made the connection when Big Joe told him the story about him. There were probably thousands of men with the same name, so it never clicked until April mentioned it. Hell of a quarterback, though injury prone. Been on four different teams since the start of his career until he finally secured a place in Arizona. It turned out he knew more about the douche than he thought.

"_Him_?" he asked surprised. "That's the same asshole who took your sister to prom instead of you?"

April gasped in horror. "How did you know about that?!" She covered her face with her hands and sighed. "Oh my gosh, my dad told you about it, huh? Why did he tell you?!"

Jackson slightly grimaced. It clearly wasn't a memory she enjoyed talking about. "He uhh… wanted me to understand why he initially hated me. He thought I was like that guy… taking advantage of you for sex, in my case." She kept her hands on her face, appearing too embarrassed to look at him. "C'mon, April. That Barry guy, he's an idiot. Besides, proms are overrated."

"That's easy for you to say," she mumbled into her hands. "Instead of dancing the night away at your prom, you were busy losing your virginity to _two_ girls. Me? I was in my room crying to my freakin' dog!"

"I lost my virginity at junior prom. Senior prom I was-"

"I don't care about what you did at your prom, Jackson. Honestly, I couldn't care less."

Jackson smirked at April. "Let me finish," he insisted and moved her hands away from her face. "My senior year, I was voted Prom King, but instead of being there to accept my crown I was stuck in a hospital bed after I had my tonsils removed. So, I missed my senior prom too."

April frowned. "It's not the same. You weren't used and blown off by the hottest man in school. Kimmie even had the nerve to rub it in my face by bragging about how her night went after she came home."

"Okay, but if Barry was seriously interested in you, then things would've been entirely different. There's a chance you would've married him and we wouldn't have met. Or maybe we still do meet." He pulled out the box from his jacket pocket and opened it in front of her. "But I wouldn't be able to give this to you."

April stared at the diamond ring in Jackson's hand. Her frown turned into a smile as she admired the ring he had chosen for her. "Jackson, it's beautiful."

"Just like you," he said and slid the ring through her left ring finger. "Barry never deserved you. You deserve someone who loves all of you, including your quirky traits. You're smart, funny, selfless, the most amazing cook I know… I could go on and on about everything I love about you, but that could take hours."

"I'm not going anywhere." She made herself comfortable against his side and grinned. "I'm listening."

Jackson smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. "Well, I can start off with what I first loved about you when we met at Mercy West…" She simply nodded, then he began his long list of lovable qualities and quirks that he could think of and in return, she did the same thing. He spent the night with her at the hospital, making up for the time he agreed to leave her alone after their first time together. He loved the idea of waking up beside her every morning.

* * *

The next two weeks seemed to fly by fast and the day April anxiously waited for arrived. She was finally going home with Jackson to their apartment. A brace replaced the cast on her left wrist and her first physical therapy session would take place the following day. Her infection was mostly gone, but she still needed to take care of her incision from home.

Before they left the hospital, they stopped by the NICU to visit Jordan. He was four pounds by then and had a nice patch of black hair growing on his head. His skin turned into a light olive color. April was convinced he would grow up to look like his father, which she didn't mind at all. She held him in his arms, gushing at the tiny white onesie he wore. It had a little duck on it to match his beanie.

"You're a handsome little man, yes you are," she squeaked and kissed his little hand.

Alex watched nearby, smirking at Jackson as they stood next to each other. "Thank God, I moved out. I seriously wouldn't be able to bear listening to Kepner talk like that all day."

Jackson slapped the back of his hand against Alex's chest. "She's a mom. Mothers do that baby talking stuff." He grinned at his former roommate. "And she's a hot mom, so I find this pretty sexy."

"Dude, you have issues," he teased. "If you ask me, her boobs got bigger. You get to sleep with nice, big boobs."

"I can hear you, Alex," she scolded him and laughed. "Stop talking about my boobs, you pervert. Don't think I never noticed you staring at my rack in the past."

Alex simply shrugged. "I'm a guy. Boobs are eye magnets for me."

April rolled her eyes, then she smiled at Jordan. "And that's your Uncle Alex being gross. Just don't follow his lead, okay? Or else we'll have to revoke his godfather status." She softly groaned. "Oh, can't I stay another week or something? I don't want to leave him all alone."

Alex snickered. "You were complaining about how much you hated being in your room. Besides, we're all sick of you again, so go home," he quipped. "Jordan will be fine. Anyway, you and Jackson will be around practically every day, so you can visit him whenever you want."

Jackson nodded in agreement. "He's right." He approached April and rested his hand against her back. "We should go home now and let him sleep. You still need to rest too."

April pouted, then she sighed. "Oh, fine." She kissed Jordan's forehead before she handed him to Jackson. "Bye, baby. Be a good boy and don't give Uncle Alex a hard time when we're not here."

Jackson lightly rocked their son and smiled. "Sweet dreams, little man." After placing a kiss on his forehead, he handed him over to Alex.

Alex carefully laid Jordan in his crib, then he waved his hands towards the door. "Okay, go home now. And before you say it, Kepner – I'll call you guys if something comes up, so don't go paging me every five minutes for an update."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure she doesn't bug you too much." Jackson escorted April out of the room, but he let her wave at their baby through the window until Alex nagged them to leave. They walked out of the hospital and got into his car.

April noticed the huge grin on Jackson's face as he drove out of the parking lot. "What are you so giddy about?"

"What? I can't be excited about you coming home with me?" He picked up her hand with his free one. "It's been a lonely week in the apartment after Karev and Banks moved into Mer's old house. I cleaned that whole place by myself and moved my bed into your room – I mean, _our_ room."

"Our room. I like the sound of that."

"Me too."

When they arrived at their apartment April took note of how similar it looked. She really missed living there and she loved the fact that it was officially their first home as a couple. It was also in a safe area to raise Jordan too.

"Okay, so I have a surprise for you," he said and covered her eyes with his hands. "Just trust me, okay? Don't open your eyes until I tell you to." Jackson led April down the hallway and stopped in front of a door. He pushed it open, then he turned on the light switch. "Alright. Open them."

April opened her eyes. Her face lit up when she saw the new nursery, which was previously Jackson's bedroom. Instead of going with the typical blue paint for the walls, it was a light shade of green. The walls were also decorated with border wallpaper of cute farm animals on them. The bedding for the crib matched the wallpaper as well as the rug on the floor. Jordan's name hung on the wall above the crib in different colored block letters. The nursery also had a changing station, a toy chest, drawers for the baby's clothes and a very familiar rocking chair in the corner of the bedroom.

"Is that my mother's rocking chair?" she asked curiously.

"Yup. I chatted with your parents about what to do with the nursery two weeks ago. Your mom suggested shipping over her rocking chair, so you have something from home." He walked into the nursery, pulling her towards the middle of the room. "Umm, your dad wanted to pay for the crib and my mom paid for the changing station and the drawers. The farm animal decorations were my idea. Since we're not at the farm, I thought I'd bring a little bit of the farm to you. What do you think?"

She threw her arms over his shoulders and kissed him passionately. He clearly didn't mind that response as he wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the kiss. "I love it, Jackson," she said in between kisses. "And you, of course. Jordan's going to love it too."

Jackson smiled against her lips. "Now all we need is for him to come home with us and we'll be a complete family."

* * *

**Expect a lot of monthly time jumps for the remainder of the story. Guess who's finally going home in the next chapter? ;D Look for an update on Sunday night! Like always, let me know what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for the reviews! :) Enjoy the latest chapter!**

* * *

The first week of December rolled in and it had been a little over two weeks since April was discharged from the hospital. Jordan was now in the NICU for two months, but Arizona and Alex were hopeful that he would be free to go home before Christmas. He started drinking formula from the bottle a week before, which made April and Jackson even more excited about visiting him every day. They made sure to record his first bottle feed to send out to their families.

It didn't take long for them to adjust to living alone together. It felt like old times, except they shared a bedroom and Alex wasn't around to leave his dirty boy socks on the floor. The apartment was quieter, but they knew it would be louder and filled with infant cries once Jordan was home. They took advantage of their baby-free time knowing their worlds would revolve around dirty diapers and inconsistent sleeping patterns. When Jackson wasn't working at the hospital and April wasn't rehabbing her wrist they spent that time visiting their son or being lazy at the apartment. The only thing they were lacking was sex.

Addison had cleared her of infection and her incision was healed during April's most recent appointment a week ago. Inside, her body would continue to slowly heal, but she was cleared to have… it took a while for her to get her words out, but Addison figured it out and told her she and Jackson could start having sex again. The first obstacle was out of the way, but there was a bigger one to tackle. She became self-conscious about the scars on her chest and lower abdomen. Jackson reminded her countless times that he didn't mind them, but even then she wouldn't let him watch her change out of her clothes. He was a gentleman about it, though. He didn't want to push her and make her feel even more uncomfortable.

She stared at herself in the mirror after finishing her shower. She wore her pink robe, but she opened it to look at her scars. The scar on her head wasn't noticeable. That one was easy to cover up with her hair. It was difficult for April to look at her scars. Something about them made her feel hideous, not to mention the small flab of weight she desperately wanted to shed from her pregnancy. She could only imagine Jackson getting distracted by them in the middle of sex. She knew they weren't a big deal to him, but her insecurities always prevailed. _No bikini for me in the near future_, she mentally told herself.

A light knock on the bathroom door forced her to snap out of it. She quickly closed her robe and whipped around as Jackson opened the door. "Hey, are you done in here? I want to take a shower before we head to the hospital." He raised his eyebrow at April, who tightly clutched her robe over her body. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she sheepishly said. "The bathroom's all yours."

Jackson blocked her exit and stood in the doorway. He gently rubbed her shoulders and her arms. "There's nothing to hide underneath that robe. You're still insanely beautiful to me. Okay?"

April slowly nodded. "I'm sorry. I just hate looking at myself sometimes, so it makes it harder to let you see me this way." She walked around Jackson and left the bathroom. "You should shower now, so we're not late."

He leaned against the doorway, watching his fiancé walk down the hallway and disappear into their bedroom. It didn't matter how many times he told her how beautiful she was. She always found an excuse to deflect his compliments. It wasn't that he wanted to rip off her clothes and have sex with her – actually, he sort of did – but more importantly, he wanted her to accept the fact that her scars never bothered him once.

* * *

It was another day of rehab in the physical therapy clinic for April. Her first week of PT consisted of basic range of motion exercises to loosen her joints and erase the stiffness in her wrist. It was difficult in the beginning, especially having to get used to a plate and screws implanted in her skinny wrist, but it turned out to be not as bad as she had expected. Most of her exercises included squeezing a stress ball, resistance exercises with a Thera-Band and carefully lifting a three-pound cuff weight. Her physical therapist, Luke, took time to massage her wrist when it was sore and sometimes Jackson would do it for her at home. Her wrist was responding well to the PT, so her physical therapist eventually upgraded her to a new exercise.

Lexie huffed and puffed as she exercised on a treadmill. Sitting a few feet away from her was April, who was flicking a yo-yo up and down with her left hand. "I'm not trying to offend you, but…" She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I freakin' hate you right now. Here I am, trying not to kill myself on this treadmill and you're just sitting there having fun with a _yo-yo_. It's not fair."

"This is anything, but _fun_. Try doing 3 repetitions of 20 with a healing wrist. It's torture," April complained. While it definitely helped with her flexibility, it wasn't as comfortable as it looked. Sometimes she would flick her wrist too hard and she was left with a lot of soreness. "Luke wants me to successfully perform Around the World in a couple of weeks just for fun… whatever that is."

"That's a piece of cake. You know, I'd totally trade places with you in a heartbeat if I could. You have it so much easier than I do," the younger Grey whined. "Anyway, let's talk about something else. Are you and Jackson having sex yet?"

April shyly shook her head. "I still haven't let him see me half-naked," she muttered. "I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but it is to me. Every time I look into a mirror and I see the scars, I feel so… disgusted with myself. It's awful to think about myself that way. I can't help it, though. Jackson's only seen me completely naked once and that was months ago. My body doesn't look the same now."

Lexie smirked at April. "Listen, Jackson's not the superficial type. He doesn't give a crap about your scars. He'll be too horny and having sex with you to notice them anyway," she insisted, then she pointed at herself. "Take Mark, for example. Before I was discharged from the hospital, he already wanted to have sex with me. I mean, he's clearly one of the horniest men in this hospital, but he never made my missing leg a big deal. Even to this day, he doesn't care that he's having sex with a woman who's missing half a leg." She softly chuckled. "He claims it gives him easier access."

"I uhh… didn't need to know that," the redhead awkwardly replied.

"Anyway, my point is Mark loves me because of who I am on the inside. While it'd be great to get my leg back, it's not happening and we've both accepted that. We're good and happy to be alive. I'm sure Jackson feels the same way about you. The scars are there to remind you that you and Jordan survived a car accident. They might fade away over time and maybe they'll always be there, but there are more important things in life to worry about. Jackson thinking you're ugly because of your scars isn't one of them."

April knew Lexie was right. She needed to stop being so uptight about her appearance before it drove both her and Jackson crazy. Growing up, she constantly thought she wasn't attractive enough or as pretty as her sisters. Her insecurities were always a part of her life, so it was hard to get rid of them. She occasionally needed a friend or her parents to knock some sense into her. Here was Lexie, who was missing half of her leg, yet she found a way to accept it. Now she felt really stupid about obsessing over a couple of scars.

"I hate it when you make sense, Lex."

"Face it. We need each other when either one of us is moping about our battle wounds," Lexie stated and grinned. "We're the Death Dodging Duo, remember?"

"Is that supposed to counter our fiancés' Plastics Posse name?"

Lexie quickly shrugged. "Sure, but if you ask me, our name sounds more badass than theirs. Hey, we can even shorten our name to Triple D, though that sounds like a bra size."

"I prefer Death Dodging Duo," April giggled. She finished her yo-yo exercise and stood up from her chair. "So, what's this Around the World thing? I'm totally not a yo-yo person, so I have no idea what tricks there are to do."

"Oh, let me show you," Lexie turned off her treadmill and dried herself off with a towel before she met up with April on the floor. She took the yo-yo from her, then she stepped back to give herself room. "It's fairly simple once you get the hang of it. It's all in the wrist, in my opinion." She demonstrated the trick, spinning the yo-yo in a full circle by her side and retracting it back into her hand. "See? You try."

"Alright, but I'm going to cheat and use my better hand." April's first attempt failed, but she found it too intriguing to give it up. The perfectionist in her wanted to nail it immediately, so she continued to try the trick.

Lexie noticed Jackson quietly creeping up on his fiancé as she was busy winding up the string around her yo-yo. She held back her laugh when he placed a finger against his lips and casually covered her mouth with her hand.

Jackson slyly grinned and prepared to surprise April from behind. Before he could do what he had planned, she swung her yo-yo by her side and smacked his nose. "Son of a bitch!" he painfully groaned as he grabbed his nose.

April turned around to see Jackson crouched down on the floor. "Oh, Jackson! I'm so sorry!" she yelped. She could hear Lexie laughing hysterically and looked back at her. "This is _not_ funny, Lexie!"

"Yes, it is!" Lexie sat down on a chair and clutched her stomach as she continued to laugh. "He never saw that coming."

April knelt down in front of Jackson, who moved his hand away from his nose. It was dripping blood, eliciting a gasp from her. "Oh my God, I broke your nose! I broke your nose, didn't I?!"

"No, I don't think it's broken. Just… hurting," he assured her. Jackson slightly glared at Lexie. "Thanks for the warning."

"Maybe you'll learn not to surprise her when she has a yo-yo in her hand," she quipped. Lexie stood up to get a tissue box for Jackson. She handed it to him and patted his shoulder. "Mark's going to love this one. I'm done with my rehab for today, so I'll see you two later."

Jackson plugged his nose with a tissue, then he stood up and smirked at April. "Hopefully, Luke doesn't give you nunchucks for your next rehab exercise."

April bit her lower lip and grimaced. "I'm so, so, so sorry. It's just Luke wants me to perform Around the World and Lexie was helping me practice and-"

"Babe, it's okay. I'm fine and my nose isn't broken." He smiled and gently stroked her cheek with his free hand. "I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. How's your wrist feeling?"

"It's not sore yet, but I don't care about that right now," she guiltily said. "I feel so bad about hitting your nose. Let me make it up to you."

Jackson softly laughed and shook his head. "April, you really shouldn't feel bad about this."

"Jackson!" April tugged on his lab coat, pulling herself closer to him. She stared into his eyes intently and tried to put on her most seductive smile. "Let me make it up to you. Tonight."

He knew where he had seen that smile before – the men's restroom in San Francisco. He had been waiting for this moment since they officially became a couple. After eight sexless months, of course he wasn't going to reject her advances.

Jackson couldn't hold back his wide grin, especially with the way April was looking at him. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

Time wasn't moving fast enough for Jackson. He was certain the clocks in the hospital and his watch were broken because one minute felt like five. For him, it was more than sex. It would be their first time together without the confused feelings or the awkward tension between them. They weren't going to wake up the next morning and regret what they did. It was almost like a honeymoon night for him.

His shift finally ended just before 10 PM. April had stayed at the hospital since they arrived together that morning, spending the majority of the day with Jordan and observing one of Owen's surgeries from the gallery in OR 2. Instead of paying attention to what the Chief was doing in the OR, her mind kept wandering off to sex with Jackson. She knew she shouldn't have been thinking about that, but being engaged to a man like him made it impossible to ignore.

April thought Jackson would be a little tired after work, but she was greeted by a very upbeat fiancé when they met in the lobby. He wanted to be home in their apartment as quickly as possible, except he didn't plan on driving their car like a speed demon. She was still recovering from her car accident after all. They both had grown so impatient that by the time they reached the front door neither of them could open it. April fumbled with the keys, dropping it twice on the floor. Jackson's lips attacking her neck hadn't helped.

She finally managed to open the door and he closed it behind him as they ran to their bedroom. They acted like giddy teenagers who wanted to squeeze in sex before the overprotective father came home. The first few minutes were a blur. He couldn't remember when his jacket and t-shirt came off, but he wasn't complaining. He pulled her shirt over her head before he laid her back onto the bed. Supporting himself with his arms, he took a moment to look at her body.

_Oh, God. He's having second thoughts, isn't he?_ The tiny voice in her head was telling her they were making a mistake, but the intense stare and the corner of his lips forming into a small smile on his face made her think otherwise. However, his stare was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Umm… is something wrong?" she reluctantly asked.

"No," he softly said. His thumb lightly traced the scar that started just below her navel. He placed a gentle kiss on it and began moving upwards to the scar on her chest. "I'm just…" He kissed the next scar. "…admiring…" His lips moved up to her neck and he kissed the side of her head where a small scar was hidden by her hair. "…everything about you."

All of his kisses sent shivers down her spine. To her, it was a mixture of being sweet and being a huge tease. They were initially all over each other like there was no tomorrow, but Jackson suddenly slowed everything down to show how much he loved her. He took his time removing her clothes. He wanted their experience to be special. No rushing, no sloppy kissing, no rough sex.

The first time in San Francisco was sparked by a sudden adrenaline rush. The second time happened because throwing Jesus into the equation and the stress from the boards created sexual tension between them. The third time, they were making love to each other.

He rolled off of her when they finished, staring at the ceiling as he panted heavily. She lay next to him on her side and rested her head on his chest. It was quiet for about a minute with only the sounds of their deep breaths filling the bedroom.

"You… are still… great," Jackson said breathlessly, wrapping his arms around April's waist. He smiled as his eyes shifted down to her. "Not that I ever doubted your abilities. I don't think I need to ask you if you're okay this time."

April softly laughed and pushed herself up to look at Jackson. "It was amazing." She gently grabbed his face and kissed him for a few seconds. Her lips formed a sly smile as she barely pulled away from him. "Want to go again?"

She had already climbed on top off him and kissed him again before he could answer her. He grinned as her lips traveled from his neck to his chest. "You don't need to ask me twice."

* * *

December 22, 2012. Aside from Jordan's birth date, Jackson and April will always remember that specific date. After two months and eleven days in the NICU, Jordan was going home with them. The tubes were no longer a part of him and he had grown into a healthy five and a half-pound baby boy. Although he was still at risk for developmental delays, everyone involved with his care was excited to see him leave without any complications.

Arizona had thrown a small party in the attendings lounge for the happy couple. The doctors gave them early Christmas presents for Jordan, from clothes to toys to baby care essentials for Jackson and April. It also marked the Plastics fellow's first day on paternity leave. Owen gave him until the end of February to stay at home with April and Jordan. He also planned to have April return to work at the same time, so he could help her get back on track for the boards.

Jackson had Jordan sitting up in his arms, so he could flaunt his son to his colleagues. The tiny human wore a long-sleeved onesie covered with little brown bears all the way down to his baby feet. His matching beanie with ears drew "Aww's" from the female nurses and some of the doctors.

"Yup, I can see a hint of blue in this kid's eyes," Mark claimed as he tried to figure out Jordan's eye color. "Give it a month or two and those dreamy Avery eyes will stand out from across the room."

The two men turned their heads to the sound of April squealing at the latest gift she unwrapped. She and Lexie were the official party squealers as she opened each present from their coworkers. She caught her fiancé staring at them and held up a small tiger costume with a wide grin on her face.

"Next Halloween! Bailey took care of it for us," she beamed.

"Nice," he replied, giving her a thumbs up. He found Miranda mingling with Richard and waved at her. "Thanks, Dr. Bailey!"

Mark watched April and Lexie gush over the next present with a smile on his face. "Look at our future wives, the Death Dodging Duo. We snatched up some pretty awesome women, Avery. You know, it's not too early to set up Sofia and Jordan on their first date."

"You're nuts," Jackson scoffed. "And even though you're one of two godfathers, I am not letting you pimp him out like what you tried to do with me. I already have to worry about Karev giving him his first condom on his third birthday and my grandfather setting him up to become the next great cardiothoracic surgeon."

"Speaking of your grandfather, when's good old Harper Avery coming?"

"Tomorrow. He and my mom are flying in from Boston. April's parents are coming from Ohio and her sister and her boyfriend are flying up from LA. It's going to be a busy day. Her family's staying at the apartment and mine are… going to be at Webber's," he muttered the last part and rolled his eyes.

"Ah, Webber's making the move on your mom," he snickered.

"It's not like that. It was actually my grandfather who requested it since he and Webber are friends. I doubt he knows about what happened between him and my mom at the boards and I personally hate being reminded of it," Jackson whined.

April approached Jackson and immediately showered Jordan's cheeks with gentle kisses. "You're so lucky you have a bunch of aunts and uncles who can spoil you, Jordan! And you still have more presents coming your way from your grandparents and your Aunt Alice," she cooed. Her baby responded with a simple yawn, but that was enough to make her squeal again. "See? He can barely contain his excitement."

Jackson looked at Mark, slightly smiling and shaking his head. "I think that's a sign. He's telling us to take him home, so he can settle into his new crib. Everything unwrapped and opened, April?"

"Yes, and you are going to love all of the gifts we got," she chirped. "Let's put him in his car seat, so we can start taking stuff down to the car. We could use some extra hands too."

Mark pointed at himself. "Hey, I'm your man. I'll get Lexie to help since she has a free hand now."

"Oh, before you leave we need a picture of you two with Jordan for our graduation board," Arizona reminded them. She held up a Polaroid camera and took a picture of the threesome. "Wonderful! Remember, driving slow isn't a bad thing when you have a baby on board. Always drive carefully."

"And that's advice coming from the woman who had road rage on a freakin' scooter," Alex teased. He caught a slight glare from his mentor and shrugged. "Whatever. I'm just glad you don't need it anymore."

Jackson carefully placed Jordan into his car seat, while April covered him with a blanket. Mark, Lexie and Alex helped them bring their presents to the car and loaded them inside of the trunk. After Jackson securely strapped the car seat in the backseat of the car, April decided to sit in the back beside him as the overprotective side of her took over. It was a smooth ride home. Jordan fell asleep in the car, so she took advantage of the opportunity to take a bunch of pictures of him with her cell phone to send out to her family members.

When they arrived home Jackson carried Jordan's car seat into their apartment before he left to retrieve their gifts from the trunk. April picked up their son without waking him up and cradled him in her arms.

"Welcome to your first home, Jordan. You're going to love it here," she whispered. Slowly walking through the living room, which was already decorated for Christmas, she strolled down the hallway and into the nursery. She sat down on her mother's rocking chair. "You and I still have a lot of catching up to do. Your daddy got a head start because I wasn't in the best shape for the first month you were alive. When I had amnesia I didn't see you as my son. Can you believe that? It's ridiculous, right? Because I love you very much and you are the best thing to happen to me. Well, you and your father are. I never thought I could be this happy, but I'm glad I'm wrong. It's pretty rare, but I'm okay with being wrong this time."

* * *

She thought it would be easy, that she wouldn't become paranoid about something terrible happening to her baby boy in the middle of the night. April lay on her side staring at the portable video baby monitor, eyes wide open and fully awake. On the screen was Jordan sleeping in his crib. Because it was his first night under his parents' care, she wanted to figure out how long he slept throughout the night. She guessed he had been asleep for at least five hours. That awful feeling of her son dying in his sleep kept haunting her, though. She read her baby books and she knew about SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It was a horrible thing to think about, but she couldn't stop overanalyzing all of the possible scenarios that could go wrong.

"Jackson," she whispered. April flipped over onto her other side and nudged Jackson, who was sound asleep. "Umm… Jackson, wake up."

"Hmm?" He rolled over onto his stomach, opening an eye to look at her. "What is it?"

April nervously bit her lower lip as she looked at Jackson concerned. "I think we should check on Jordan," she softly said, slowly sitting up on their bed. "I just want to make sure he's still breathing."

"Are you serious?" he mumbled into his pillow. "He's fine, April."

"You- you don't know that," she stammered. "He could be- umm… he could be _dead_. Our baby could be dead, Jackson."

"Our baby's not dead," he groaned, then he lifted his head and squinted his eyes in their dark bedroom. "You're just paranoid and… oh my God. Have you been awake this whole time? You need to get some sleep. Your family's coming tomorrow."

"How are you not worried about him? It's his first night away from the hospital. We're new parents and I think we should check on him to be on the safe side," she nagged. April pushed the covers away from her. "I'm going-"

"No, you're not," he cut her off, pulling her closer to him and trapping her with his leg. "He woke up from his nap, I changed his diaper, you fed him and you rocked him to sleep at around nine. He's fine, I promise. Go to sleep."

April sighed. She wanted to kick herself for being too paranoid, but as a new mother she had no idea what she was supposed to do. "Jackson, _please_? It'll only take a minute."

Jackson found no point in arguing with her. She wasn't going to sleep until she knew Jordan was alive and well. He sat up on their bed and rubbed his eyes. He was so thankful that he wouldn't be reporting to work for next two months, especially if April continued with her habits. "Alright. We'll check on him, but after that you're going to sleep."

He barely climbed out of their bed by the time she literally ran out of their bedroom. Slowly following her into the nursery, he saw her standing over Jordan's crib. The small lamp by his crib dimly lit the bedroom and he yawned as he walked towards them. Just as he expected, their son was asleep and his tiny chest rising up and down let him know he wasn't dead.

"See? He's fine," he whispered, wrapping his arms around April's waist and kissing her cheek. "I told you, so let's go back to bed."

April turned off the lamp before she left the nursery with Jackson. They climbed into bed and she lay flat on her back frowning. "I'm sorry. I'm such a freak."

"No, just a mom," he quipped. Jackson lay on his side and pulled her against his chest. "We're both going to be okay. We'll probably feel like we have no idea what we're doing along the way, but that's how we learn. Anyway, Jordan's fortunate to have you as his mom. Just don't turn into the second coming of _my_ mom."

April chuckled as she playfully elbowed her fiancé's stomach. "I won't." She closed her eyes and sighed. "You're right. It's our first night with Jordan. I've been a little anxious, but I'll try not to smother him."

Barely a minute passed and the sounds of Jordan's cries could be heard from the baby monitor and next door in the nursery. April jumped out of their bed and sprinted out of their bedroom. "I got him!"

Jackson buried his face into the pillow and softly laughed. April got up so fast as if she had been paged about an incoming trauma patient. He thought about getting up and following her, but he was confident she had it under control. He would probably have to tackle her to the floor when it was his turn to check on Jordan. _We're going to have fun with this parenting gig_, he thought and went back to sleep.

* * *

**Let me know what you think! Chapter 14 will be up on Wednesday (with a visit from Harper Avery in this one). Who else is looking forward to 9x04? Jackson and April can't seem to keep their hands off of each other lol. Really hoping Mama Avery finds out about them :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you for the reviews! Here's chapter 14. The first half of this one was originally part of chapter 13, but I was having some writer's block when I wrote the second half a while back, so I combined the two instead. Enjoy!**

* * *

"This boy has surgeon hands. They're perfect for Cardio, if you ask me," Harper Avery boasted as he cradled his great grandson in his arms.

It was his first encounter with Jordan and he already brought up his future in cardiothoracic surgery into the conversation. Jackson stood behind Harper Sr.'s shoulder, rolling his eyes. Couldn't his grandfather just see Jordan as another member of the Avery clan rather than a possible surgeon for Mass Gen? He promised Catherine he would be on his best behavior around his grandfather, but one knock about Plastics and all bets were off.

Big Joe and Karen arrived in Seattle first. He had picked them up from the airport and brought Jordan along, while April was busy in the kitchen cooking dinner. Next were Alice and Dylan, whose flight from Los Angeles arrived a few hours later. Libby and Kimmie couldn't make it as they already made plans to spend Christmas with their in-laws. The same went for Jackson's sisters, which he was completely fine with. He figured he would face enough chaos having Catherine and Harper Sr. around. Finally, his mother and grandfather arrived from Boston and they made it to the apartment just before dinner time.

"Jordan's only two months old. I don't think he's contemplating his career choice quite yet," Jackson said, slightly irritated. He decided to intercept Jordan from his grandfather and forced a smile. "It's time for his milk, so I'll take care of that now."

April was in the kitchen making last minute preparations for dinner. She smiled when Jackson joined her to get Jordan's bottle. "Bonding time with Harper Avery didn't last long, huh?"

"I never expected it to," he bluntly said. "Where's his milk?"

"Oh, here it is." She picked up a fresh new bottle of milk from the counter and handed it to him. "I just finished warming it up, so you walked in at the right time. And the temperature's just right too."

Jackson thanked his fiancé with a kiss on the lips. "It's like you have ESP. You're perfect." He smiled at her as he fed their son his milk. "Dinner smells good. Who knows what you'll be making for Christmas?"

"I'm not cooking anything, actually. Our mothers decided they were going to take over the kitchen for Christmas, so I'm off the hook." She kissed the top of Jordan's head. "I'll start bringing out the food."

Dinner was set up in the living room. Jackson had moved the couches around to open up the space in the middle of the living room. They borrowed an extra table from Derek and Meredith since theirs was too small for the number of people in the apartment. April was able to cover both tables with a Christmas themed tablecloth, so it wasn't an issue.

Jackson sat at one end of the table where he could see Jordan napping in his mini swing set. Harper Sr. was seated across from him at the other end, while April, her family and Catherine occupied the sides. The conversations started off laid back and basic. Catherine and Karen shared stories of Jackson and April's childhood. They tried to bring up the wedding, but there wasn't much to talk about since the couple hadn't made any concrete plans yet. Joe talked about the time April helped save an injured horse when she was 11 years old, which sparked her interest in medicine.

Alice made an announcement that surprised her family. She had been secretly applying to medical schools and recently received an early acceptance into Stanford Medical School. It was a pleasant surprise for everyone, including herself because she had applied as a joke and didn't think she would actually get in. Nobody in her family even thought she would go the medical route, despite majoring in Neuroscience at UCLA. Her boyfriend, Dylan, didn't appear too thrilled about the news. He was a surfing instructor who loved playing beach volleyball in his free time. Looked like a typical beach bum with a surfer tan and shaggy blonde hair. Dylan was fairly quiet throughout the conversation, nodding occasionally when he was asked a question. He clearly didn't enjoy the prospects of his girlfriend leaving him in Los Angeles to become a doctor.

The conversation was going well until Harper Sr. opened his mouth about Stanford. "You know, Jackson's oldest sister Samantha is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Stanford. Great facility over there in Palo Alto. Just the other day, Sam successfully performed a heart and lung transplant on one patient," he gloated. "Did she tell you about that, Jackson?"

"No, I can't say she did," Jackson said in a low voice as he picked up his bottle of beer. "Good for her, though."

Harper Sr. smiled at April. "And what's your specialty again, April?"

"Trauma, sir," she politely answered.

"Trauma," he repeated. "Now, that's a fine specialty. Not too many people are in love with anything trauma, but it's nice to see a woman like you handling that area. Always gotta be on your feet because you never know what will enter your hospital. No room for silly games like playing around with silicone and Botox."

April noticed the look of annoyance on Jackson's face and gently rubbed the back of his hand. "Jackson's very good at what he does. His patients leave the hospital satisfied with his work," she said defensively with a smile.

"Yes, but he had great potential in Cardio. Instead he threw it away for a life of easy money," he added.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't want to specialize in Cardio anymore?" Jackson sneered. "While we're at it, why don't we talk about how my dad couldn't live up to your expectations as a cardiothoracic surgeon? Or better yet, let's talk about how my son won't get to know his grandfather because he became an alcoholic who walked out on his family. I didn't have a father because you worked him too hard to have time to be one."

"Jackson Egbert Avery, that is enough!" Catherine scolded. "Even though your grandfather's a guest in your home, that doesn't give you the right to disrespect him, especially in front of other guests."

Harper Sr. dismissively waved his hand. "No, let the boy talk. He clearly knows better than his own grandfather." He nodded his head at Jackson. "Go ahead, Jackson. I'm listening."

Jackson furrowed his eyebrows as Harper Sr. smirked at him. He knew he had already lost the battle with him because nobody ever dared to challenge his grandfather like he had done, but it was obvious he had embarrassed himself in front of April's family. Unless he wanted to upgrade it to humiliation, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

Joe cleared his throat to break the tension in the living room. "I'm not an expert in plastic surgery or anything related to surgery for that matter, but I think what Jackson does helps people feel better about themselves. They come in with a low self-esteem for whatever reason and then they leave with more confidence. I don't see it as simply boob jobs or butt lifts. He fixes people's physical and emotional problems. I think that's great," he declared, offering a wink and a smile to his future son-in-law.

"Huh, to each his own," Harper Sr. replied nonchalantly and reached for his glass of scotch.

Although Joe's comments didn't bother his grandfather, Jackson appreciated the fact that he defended him – and temporarily shut him up for a while. He was loving Big Joe more and more by the second.

* * *

April walked into the master bedroom after making sure her parents were settled in the guest bedroom and Alice and Dylan were comfortable with the couch's pull out bed in the living room. She also checked on Jordan in the nursery before she joined Jackson in their bed. She found him lying flat on his back with his arms folded. He had a rough night and barely spoke to Catherine and Harper Sr. after dinner. He couldn't be more relieved when they left for Richard's house.

She climbed into bed, leaving the lamp on the bedside table on. Curling up against his side, she unfolded his arms for him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I tried to stand up for you," she said apologetically.

"I know you did. Thank you," he replied, running his hand up and down her arm. Jackson shook his head in disgust. "I knew it would happen. Since I became a surgeon, I can't sit through a simple dinner with my grandfather without us getting into some stupid argument. It's always the same routine. He doesn't understand that I'm trying to create my own path. I don't want to follow his freakin' footsteps like my dad and sisters did."

"So, umm… your dad," she curiously said while her finger danced around Jackson's bare chest. "I thought he was dead. Well, the way you talked about him in the past made it seem that way. He's not dead?"

Jackson sighed. "I don't know. I uhh, told you the truth about him when you still had amnesia, but I guess you don't remember," he recalled. "My dad… he was heavily invested in his surgical career, so he was hardly around. He had a lot of pressure on him because he worked under my grandfather. He couldn't handle it anymore, so he gave up and turned to booze. He would come home late at night drunk or not come home at all. It was hard on my mom because she tried her best to get him help, but he didn't want it. So, he packed up and left us when I was 17. I haven't heard from him since I was 21. He could still be alive or he could be dead. I have no fucking clue and I don't care. He's dead to me already."

April slightly frowned. "You don't mean that."

"Of course I do. He wasn't a father, April. He's just the guy who gave me life and nothing else," he bitterly said. "I'm sorry you had to hear that crap during dinner. I shouldn't have said any of that in front of your family. I'm just glad your dad saw what my grandfather couldn't. He gets it."

"My dad knows a good man when he sees one. He really likes you, Jackson." She positioned her elbow against the pillow and rested her head against her hand. "Can I ask you something?" He nodded, then she fought back a smile. "Your middle name's Egbert? I thought it was Edward."

Jackson chuckled. It was the first time he smiled in hours. "I lied. I didn't want you, Charles and Reed giving me crap about my middle name, so I told you guys it was Edward," he admitted. "It's a family name. My great-great grandfather's name was Egbert. All of the boys' middle name is Egbert, but I broke the tradition with Jordan."

"I think it's cute, in a family tradition sort of way," she giggled and brushed her fingertips against the stubble along his jaw. "But I'm okay with you breaking the tradition. I don't like Egbert enough to want that for Jordan's middle name."

"Trust me. It wasn't exactly fun walking across the stage at graduations with that name being announced to thousands of people," he pointed out. Jackson raised his eyebrow at April. "Do you think I was too harsh earlier?"

"Well, do _you_ think you were too harsh? I know you and your grandfather butt heads a lot, but I thought you needed to defend yourself. You love Plastics and not being a cardiothoracic surgeon doesn't make you any less of an Avery than your sisters."

Jackson shrugged. "I was being honest. He needed to hear it, but I don't think I got through to him. When you're Harper Avery you're always right and never wrong," he murmured. "It's annoying."

"If you want my opinion, I'm glad you didn't go into Cardio. I know that's what you wanted to do when we started our residency, but people in Cardio… they seem moody and arrogant. There's your grandfather, your sisters, _Yang_. That's not you," she said and grinned. "You're sweet and charming and…"

"Incredibly handsome?"

"Maybe you do have some arrogance in you," she teased.

Jackson rolled on top of April with a sly grin on his face. "But you're marrying me, so it's not all that bad, right?"

She softly gasped as he planted kisses along her neck. "Jackson… my parents are just down the hallway. Umm, I don't think they'd appreciate us… umm, doing this while they're here," she whispered.

His lips traveled up to hers. "We can be quiet," he insisted, then he looked at her curiously. "Joe doesn't have psychic dad powers, does he? Do you think he can detect when a man's trying to get into one of his daughter's pants?"

April playfully slapped Jackson's shoulder and laughed. "I doubt it. I just feel awkward having sex with my parents sleeping in the not so far away guest bedroom. You don't find that uncomfortable?"

Now that she mentioned it, the thought of Big Joe possibly walking in on them or hearing them having sex wasn't an ideal situation. He had a feeling her parents still hoped she would remain celibate until they got married. "Do your parents want you to hold off on sex until we're married?"

"They never said anything, so I'm assuming they don't care."

"What do you think your dad would do if he caught us?"

"Oh, geez," she groaned. "He might kill you. Well, he might spare your life and cut off your penis instead." April noticed the smirk on Jackson's face. "I know that look. Do you _want _us to get caught?"

"No way, but…" Jackson climbed out of their bed and walked towards the door. He locked it, then he returned to their bed. "He can't catch us if he can't get in." Reaching for the lamp, he simultaneously turned it off as he pressed his lips against hers again.

* * *

Before they knew it, January crept up on them. It was a brand new year and many of the doctors saw it as an opportunity to begin it with a clean slate. Those involved in the plane crash tried to put the accident behind them. Since everybody survived there was no point in dwelling on it for the rest of their lives. It was time to move on and try to be happy with what they had.

For April and Jackson, they learned fairly quickly that they were blessed with an easy baby. Jordan only cried when he was hungry, needed a diaper change or woke up from his sleep. Jackson claimed the laid back side of his son came from him, but April was positive he got it from her. They even had a 20-minute long argument about it until they agreed how silly it was considering they were both easy babies as well.

They were having fun being parents, taking advantage of the time they had together as a family. Once they both returned to work at the hospital the time would be tougher to come by. They bathed, fed, changed his diaper and did everything else together. There would be plenty of opportunities to take care of Jordan alone when their work schedules disrupted their daily routines. For now, they wanted to experience watching their baby grow together.

It was Jordan's first monthly appointment with his pediatrician at the hospital. April supported his back while she held him upright on an examination table as they waited for the doctor to arrive. Stripped down to his diaper, she tickled his chubby belly and watched him smile. She could hardly contain her excitement every time he smiled.

"Why do you have to be so freakin' cute?" she gushed.

Jackson sat on a chair across from them and quietly observed. His baby boy got his eye color, but what he admired more were the dimples that formed whenever he smiled. April's dimples. He especially loved seeing their matching dimples when both of them were smiling. And even then, he still wondered why he didn't fall for this woman sooner. Words couldn't describe just how much he loved her.

A male doctor, appearing to be around his mid-30's, entered the room and smiled at the family. "Hey, folks. I'm Dr. Garza," he greeted them, shaking Jackson and April's hands before he crouched down in front of Jordan. "And you must be Jordan. How are ya doin', little fella?"

April let Dr. Garza take over and sat down beside Jackson. She relaxed her head on his shoulder hoping their son wasn't having any developmental setbacks. He seemed to be developing at a steady pace for a premature baby, but there was always a chance both she and Jackson missed something.

"Now I'm going to check the basics like his vitals, his weight and height. Then I'll do a few extra tests to check his reflexes and lastly, every parent's favorite, I'll give him his shots," he explained. "It says in his file that he was given his first shots at the start of his second month in NICU, but he's a little behind, so I'll help him catch up with his immunization schedule. This is your first time watching him get his shots, right?"

"Oh, yeah," April replied and softly laughed. "Not looking forward to that part."

Dr. Garza spent about 15 minutes examining Jordan. His vitals were normal and his weight and height were growing nicely as well. He then checked his reflexes by snapping his fingers close to Jordan's ears and flashing a small light into his eyes for his pupils. He also dangled a toy from his pocket and watched the baby swat his arm at it.

"Everything looks good. He responded well to all of my tests. Looking pretty healthy to me," he declared, then he smirked at Jackson and April. "So, who's brave enough to come up here and help me distract Jordan from his shots?"

April didn't hesitate to point at Jackson. "He is," she said and covered her face with hand. "I can't even look."

Jackson opened the baby bag and pulled out the stuffed tiger toy. "Good thing I brought along Benny McTiger for this special occasion." He joined Dr. Garza at the table, sitting next his son. He waved Benny in front of Jordan, who smiled and waved his arm at the toy while he lay on his back.

Dr. Garza finished prepping three different needles, then he firmly held Jordan in place so he couldn't move. "Okay, he'll feel an uncomfortable pinch on his thighs. If he cries, just remember that all babies react this way. He'll be fine in a couple of minutes."

Watching the pediatrician insert the first needle into the side of Jordan's thigh, Jackson slightly grimaced when his son's smile quickly turned into a frown. His little boy's lip quivered as the pain sunk in. "It's alright, little guy. He's almost done." He looked over at April, who sat in her seat shielding her eyes with her hand. "I don't even know who's taking this harder, him or her."

"Shush, Jackson. This is a traumatizing time for any mom," she scolded and cringed when Jordan's cries filled the room after the second shot. "See? How can you not feel his pain? He's in agony!"

Jackson simply rolled his eyes, then he gently rubbed Jordan's belly. "Just one more shot and you're done."

After the third and final shot on his other thigh, Dr. Garza placed a band-aid over the tiny red dot. "All done," he chuckled. "You can go to your daddy now, Jordan."

Jackson picked up his crying baby and coddled him against his shoulder. "Shh, it's okay. Those shots were nothing. You were a superstar," he softly said, rubbing Jordan's back to help him calm down.

Uncovering her eyes, April watched her fiancé comfort Jordan and smiled. Their baby already stopped crying, though the pouty look on his face made her laugh. She loved the sight of Jackson soothing him. Her favorite sight between father and son was whenever Jackson carried Jordan in the morning because he was always shirtless. She once told Alice about it and her sister accused her of being a horny sex kitten, but it was hard to resist a half-naked Jackson any time of the day.

There was one particular moment she would always remember. The day before New Year's Eve. She had finished brushing her teeth in the bathroom when she heard a voice singing in the nursery. They were the only people in the apartment, so it had to be Jackson. She stopped at the doorway, peeking her head inside and his back was facing her as he sang an unfamiliar lullaby to Jordan, who fell asleep against his shoulder. Maybe he was making up the words as he sang. Either way, it was adorable and a side of him she had never seen before. Jackson Avery didn't sing, at least in front of other people. She hid behind the wall when he put their son in his crib, then she casually walked into the nursery to check on them. To her amusement, he pretended the lullaby never happened.

She never brought it up because she knew he would have been embarrassed and she didn't want him to stop singing to Jordan. The moment was too precious to ruin it for him.

Jackson dressed Jordan before he placed him in the baby carrier that he wore over his shoulders. Jordan had relaxed by then, curling up against his father's chest. He used his fingers to smoothly massage Jordan's thighs to help ease away the discomfort from the shots.

"Don't be alarmed if he gets a mild fever. That's a typical side effect from these shots," Dr. Garza explained. "If he does have a fever, just give him a very small dose of baby Tylenol and it should help. The side effects vary from infant to infant, but I can provide you with a list of things to look out for."

"That'd be helpful. Thank you." April walked towards her favorite boys and kissed Jordan's cheek. "Are you okay, baby? I hope those shots didn't scare you."

"I think they scared you more than they scared him," Jackson teased. He chuckled after she playfully slapped his arm. "Next time, I'll hold your hand."

Dr. Garza laughed as he handed April a list and a reminder for their next appointment. "If you two have any questions, don't hesitate to call me at any time. Take care, you three."

"Thanks again, Dr. Garza. Bye," April said as she left the examination room with Jackson. They walked down the hallway to the elevators, so she could go downstairs to the first floor for her PT session. "What are you going to do until I'm done with PT?"

"Mark asked me to meet with him after our appointment. Gonna do macho man things," the Plastics fellow answered.

"Yeah, I bet," she replied and picked up Jordan's little hand. "But if I see a tattoo on our baby, you're dead." She kissed her son's hand, then she quickly gave Jackson a kiss on the lips when an elevator arrived. "I'll see you two later. Bye, cuties!"

Jackson waved goodbye to April as she stepped inside. He began walking down another hallway and looked down at Jordan. "Time to go meet up with your Uncle Mark, see what macho man fun he has in store for us."

* * *

"Moh tea, Unko Jacks'n?" Zola politely asked Jackson while she held up a plastic teapot. Macho man time actually meant meeting up with Mark and Derek in the daycare center for a make believe tea party with their daughters. The threesome sat on small plastic chairs with their babies sitting on their laps – except for Jordan, who fell asleep in the baby carrier hanging on Jackson's shoulders.

Jackson smiled as he picked up his tiny teacup. "I'd love some more. Thank you, Zola." He pretended to drink his invisible tea, which made her grin. "Wow, you make great tea."

Sofia had an animal cracker in her hand and raised it over her head towards Mark's mouth. He snatched the cookie with his teeth, then he kissed the top of her head. "Aww, thank you, ladybug," he mumbled with a mouthful of animal cracker.

"So, is macho man time a secret code for tea party with the kids?" Jackson asked curiously.

"Of course it is," his mentor said, picking up his own teacup and pretending to drink from it. "Ah, honey lemon."

"You do know there's nothing in there, right?"

"Duh, but they don't believe that, Avery. That's why you play along," Mark replied, rolling his eyes. "When you and Kepner have a daughter you'll appreciate tea parties a lot more. Derek and I, we've been doing this for a while, so we're not ashamed of it. We just thought we could initiate you into the fatherhood club by inviting you to your first tea party. Oh, and to catch up since you've been on leave. So, how have ya been? April driving you nuts yet?"

Jackson laughed, shaking his head. "No, April's been fine. She was only acting crazy the first week we had Jordan at home with us. She's an awesome mom. We're both handling this pretty well, if I say so myself."

Derek smiled at Jackson. "Make any plans for Valentine's Day?"

"Actually, I haven't," he sheepishly said. "Should I?"

"What planet are you from? You gotta make plans, Avery," Mark answered with a smirk. "You and April haven't even had your first date yet. I know part of that reason is because of Jordan, but you can find someone to babysit him for a night. It's freaking Valentine's Day, so show your woman a good time. Do I need to provide you with another Ring Pop?"

"No, no. I can do without the Ring Pop, Sloan." Jackson furrowed his eyebrows. He had been so busy taking care of Jordan that he hadn't even thought about Valentine's Day. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have his first date with April on the most romantic day of the year. She was a sucker for overly romantic gestures. "What should I do?"

"Get dressed up and take her to a nice restaurant," Derek suggested. "April seems like the type of woman who would appreciate that. You better make reservations early, though. It's almost nearly impossible to get a table on Valentine's Day if you don't call ahead of time."

Mark nodded in agreement. "And make sure she wears something sexy. It definitely sets the tone of the date and you're guaranteed to get some that same night."

"Uhh, I'll take that into consideration," Jackson awkwardly replied. "You uhh… probably shouldn't talk about stuff like that in a daycare center. I'm just saying. It's weird… and a little creepy."

"Anyway, you've got a month until Valentine's Day, so don't screw it up," he ordered. "April's been through a lot and she deserves an unforgettable first date with her fiancé."

"I won't screw it up," he said confidently and grinned. "Our first date will be perfect."

* * *

**Decided a Grey's story isn't complete without playing the McName game, so I gave it to the tiger :p Also sad that we won't get cute Mark/Sofia moments anymore.**

**Your feedback is always appreciated! Chapter 15 will be up on Sunday. Hoping for good Japril scenes tomorrow night! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Yay for cute April and Jackson moments in 9x04! And also thank you for the reviews!**

**Enjoy the latest chapter! :)**

* * *

Valentine's Day was only a day away and Jackson had set up what he believed was the perfect first date. He made reservations at Il Bistro, an Italian restaurant located underneath the Pike Place Market. Mark suggested the restaurant for him, claiming it was _the_ place for a romantic date. His mentor had taken Lexie there a few times before and after a little research, he took his advice. April knew they were going out, but Jackson was mum about the details. He wanted her to be surprised.

She tossed a small medicine ball to her physical therapist, Luke. Her arm strength improved, though she still needed PT until she officially returned to work. The exercise was to help determine how much stress her left wrist could take without reinjuring it. Her wrist felt better, but occasionally became sore on some days. However, Callie and Luke were positive her rehabilitation was moving along smoothly.

"Alright, that's it for the day, April. Good work," Luke congratulated her on another successful day of PT. "You're a lot easier to work with than Lexie, but I guess I can cut her some slack. She did lose a leg after all."

"Thanks, Luke. What are you doing for Valentine's Day?"

"Taking the wife out to a steakhouse. Nothing extravagant, but it'll be nice to be alone and out of the house," he answered and softly laughed. "I'm sure my kids will behave themselves for a few hours. What are your plans?"

"I'm not really sure," she replied, smiling. "Jackson made the plans, but he won't tell me a single hint. It's our first date ever, so he wants it to be extra special for us. I can't wait."

"Sounds like something romantic's up his sleeve. When a guy won't tell you what you're doing on your date it's gotta be romantic. Anyway, I'll see you again tomorrow morning at ten, okay? Get some ice for that wrist if you're sore."

April nodded as she fastened the straps of the brace on her left wrist. "I will. See ya, Luke." She gathered her belongings and walked to the exit where Owen was waiting for her. "Hi, Dr. Hunt. What's up?"

Owen started walking alongside April down a hallway. "I didn't want to interrupt your PT, so I decided to wait to talk to you. How's your wrist feeling?"

"So much better," she chirped. "I'm really looking forward to returning to the OR. Well, I'm not looking forward to being away from Jordan all day, but I knew it would happen eventually."

"That's good to hear. Listen, before you officially start your fellowship here, I have an assignment for you. The director of Stanford's Trauma program was here yesterday for a business meeting and he's interested in the checklist protocol you designed for our hospital," he explained. "He wants to pass it on to their Chief of Surgery, but he specifically requested for you to present it to him and the rest of their staff at Stanford. I told him I would talk to you first, though I'm hoping you'll consider going. It's great exposure for Seattle Grace and especially, you."

April was slightly taken aback by the news, but pleasantly excited. "Stanford? Wow, they're world class," she boasted, then she sheepishly grinned at Owen. "Not that Seattle Grace isn't, but one would think they've got everything they need at their hospital. I mean, they're a Level I Trauma Center just like us, but they're… _Stanford_."

Owen chuckled. "Exactly, so are you in? The trip would be from the 22nd to the 24th and they'll even accommodate your hotel and transportation. Besides presenting them your checklist, they'll want to see how it works, which is why you'll be there for the weekend. Their director wants you to show them how to use it, so you'll get a chance to work with some of the doctors at Stanford."

"Of course, I'm in!" she answered without any hesitation and grinned. "Thank you for the opportunity. Will you be going on the trip too?"

Owen shook his head. "No, I can't. I've got enough on my plate here at the hospital. Although, Dr. Banks will be joining you."

April's face immediately dropped. "What?" she responded in a low, defeated voice. "Why?"

"Well, since he started working here he began teaching the residents my trauma certification lab for me and Stanford's interested in that too." He placed his hand on April's shoulder and smiled. "And I know you two aren't exactly buddies because of what happened at the boards, but you'll be working together now. You need to form a trusting relationship with Banks, okay?"

April nodded and sighed. She rarely gave Kevin the light of day whenever they ran into each other at the hospital. Even the simplest "Hello" drew a glare from her because she continued to hold a grudge against him. She hoped he wouldn't drive her crazy during their short trip. "I know, Dr. Hunt. You're right," she admitted, smiling again. "Anyway, I should go home and tell Jackson the good news."

"Alright. I'll get in touch with Dr. Spain at Stanford and let him know you're on board. We can work on putting your presentation together on Monday," he said before he started walking away. "Thank you, Dr. Kepner."

April left the hospital and she couldn't stop grinning. She was happy to know that a prestigious hospital like Stanford appreciated her organization skills and wanted to use her checklist. Of course, it wasn't guaranteed yet that they would implement it into their system, but she was already confident that she could convince them how helpful it was. It had been the best work-related news since Owen gave her another chance to work at Seattle Grace Mercy West.

She walked into her apartment where Jackson was preparing lunch in the kitchen. "Whatcha making? It smells good," she cheerfully said as she met her fiancé by the stove. "And when did you start cooking? That's my job."

He smirked at her. "Just some chicken and pasta with pesto," he answered. "And I _can_ cook. I just chose not to in the past because I had you around to cook for Alex and I. Plus, I knew you were coming home soon, so I decided to make us some lunch."

She kissed his cheek, then she leaned back against the counter. "You're a stud. Is Jordan napping?"

"Yup," he said and pointed at the video baby monitor behind her. "He just fell asleep, but I fed him before that." Jackson noticed the bright smile on April's face and grew curious. "So how come you're in such a good mood?"

"I'm in a good mood because Hunt told me Stanford is interested in adopting my checklist protocol for their hospital. They want me to fly to the Bay Area next weekend and show them how it works," she excitedly said. "I have to go with freakin' Kevin Banks, but I'm still looking forward to the trip. I get to work with some of their doctors while I'm there. Awesome, huh?"

"Stanford," he slowly said, then he looked at her concerned. "My sister works at Stanford. That means you'll probably meet Samantha when you're there."

"Oh, I forgot she works there. That should be fun." April softly laughed at the uncomfortable expression on Jackson's face. "Jackson, if I can handle a conversation with your mother, I can certainly handle one with your sister."

Jackson sighed. "Sam's personality is a lot closer to my grandfather's than my mom's. She's arrogant, snobby, a Ms. Know It All. I'm just saying, don't be surprised if she talks down to you. She did it to me growing up, so she'll most likely do it to you," he warned her. "Try not to take it personally. I know you're the sensitive type."

April folded her arms, raising an eyebrow at him. "How often do you speak with her, Jackson? Does she even know we're engaged or that we have a son together?"

"Yeah, she knows. My mom broadcasted the news to every known living relative after she found out about everything," he muttered. "We talk occasionally. She does the calling most of the time, mostly to find out if I'm still in Plastics. I'll tell you now, she's not my favorite person."

"Maybe it won't be so bad since I'm not you," she suggested. "And as far as being sensitive, I can handle anything now after all of the teasing and insults I had to endure from the other doctors. I'm not as sensitive anymore. I'd like to think I'm tougher now."

"Hell yeah, you are," he agreed and gently kissed her lips. "I should've said this sooner, but I'm happy for you. I'm glad other programs are noticing how awesome you are. You'll knock your presentation out of the ballpark."

April grinned widely. "So, enough about that for now. Want to drop any hints for tomorrow's date? At least tell me what I should wear."

Jackson shook his head. "No hints, but I want you to wear something… sexy," he made sure to say the last word loud and clear. "Something so sexy that every guy we pass by will wish they were with you."

"Are you pimping me out to disgusting men for Valentine's Day?"

"Oh, yeah. You caught me," he sarcastically replied. Jackson quickly shrugged as he placed pasta on two plates. "It's our first date and it'll be on Valentine's Day. I'll be wearing something sexy too, so you're not alone."

April playfully smacked Jackson's arm. "Jackson, you're always sexy. Me? Not so much."

"That's what you think," he replied with a smirk. "Even if you don't think you're sexy, I think you are. End of discussion."

"Fine, fine. Did you find a babysitter?"

"I did. Karev agreed to watch Jordan."

April's mouth dropped open. "You asked _Alex Karev_ to babysit our child? Are you insane?"

Jackson laughed. "What's wrong with that? He took care of Jordan the most when he was in NICU. He knows how to watch a baby, April. He'll be fine," he assured her. "I told him no skanks in our apartment even when Jordan's asleep. I'll kill him if he does. I promised him free drinks at Joe's and permission to come over whenever he wants to eat whatever you cooked for the next two weeks. And he _is_ Jordan's godfather. He won't let anything happen to our kid."

April wasn't a fan of the idea, but she knew their options were limited. Almost every couple at the hospital made plans for Valentine's Day. Even Cristina and Owen had a date, which meant their relationship was building up again. Alex surprisingly didn't have any plans to screw a random skank, unless he did and Jackson convinced him to babysit instead.

"Okay," she mumbled. "I guess a few hours of Alex watching Jordan won't hurt."

* * *

Jackson carried Jordan with one arm as he walked into the living room to answer the door. To his amazement, Alex arrived five minutes early, probably knowing April would give him crap for being late. He opened the front door and immediately noticed the six-pack of beer in Alex's hand.

"You know, April will go ballistic on you if she finds out her baby's being watched by a soon-to-be drunk guy," he greeted him with a smirk. "Oh, and we have plenty of beer in the fridge, so you didn't have to bring your own."

"I won't be drinking it while the kid's awake," Alex scoffed as he walked into the apartment. He grinned at Jordan, who was already dressed in his onesie pajamas. "What's up, Air Jordan?" He tickled the baby's stomach making him smile.

Jackson handed his son over to Alex. "We already fed him and gave him a bath, so all you really have to do is put him to sleep. April wants him in bed by eight, but she'll go over all of this with you again. I know how much you love it when she goes over every single detail."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to that," he replied, rolling his eyes. Alex eyed Jackson's attire: a white dress shirt with a blue tie, black pants and black shoes. He watched his former roommate wear a black jacket to match his pants and slightly shook his head. The man looked pretty in everything. "Looking snazzy, Avery. Where's Kepner?"

"Still getting ready," he answered, slipping his hands into his pockets. "She should be almost done."

It took a few more minutes of waiting, but April finally emerged from the bedroom. Both men's eyes were glued to the dark blue cocktail dress she was wearing. The dress cut off just above her knees and the back of it showed off _a lot_ of skin, to Jackson's delight. Her auburn hair was curled at the tips and she also wore diamond earrings, which were a Christmas present from Jackson.

"Dude," Alex muttered as April approached them. "You two are matching. Dorks."

Jackson ignored Alex's comment and grinned at his fiancé. She looked gorgeous in his mind and he appreciated the fact that she listened to him when he told her to wear something sexy. There was plenty of cleavage to stare at for sure. "Wow, you look… stunning," he breathlessly said.

"Thank you," she replied, quickly adjusting his tie. "So do you."

Alex cleared his throat, trying to interrupt the romantic moment between the couple. "Uhh, so anything else I should know before you two go? By the way, I do know what to do in the case of an emergency, so don't bother with that part."

April walked towards Alex with a small piece of paper. "I made you a list of things to do. There's not much. Jackson probably already told you, but I'll tell you again. He's been fed and bathed. Umm… if he gets fussy, use Benny on him. That tiger seems to always calm him down. He tends to fall asleep easily when you rock him against your shoulder. Oh, and remember to have the baby monitor with you at all times after he-" She noticed he was looking down at her cleavage and slapped his arm. "Alex! Stop staring at my boobs!"

"I can't help it! They're just… _there_," he said defensively.

April rolled her eyes, then she picked up her coat from the couch. After wearing her coat, she fastened a couple of buttons before she looked at Jackson. "We should get going," she suggested. She smiled at Jordan and kissed his cheek. "Be a good boy, baby. Don't give Uncle Alex a hard time."

Jackson placed a gentle kiss on Jordan's forehead. "See ya later, little guy." He patted Alex's shoulder as he walked past him. "I'll make sure April doesn't drive you crazy with a bunch of phone calls and texts."

"You better," he chuckled. "Don't worry, you two. I can handle this… I think." Alex waited for them to leave, then he smirked at Jordan. "Okay, April would kill me if she heard me telling you this, but you have one freakin' hot mom, Jordan."

* * *

Her reaction to the restaurant setting was perfect. At first, she wasn't sure where they were going. She couldn't figure out why he took her to the Pike Place Market. The area didn't scream romantic to her until they walked downstairs to Il Bistro. The candlelight scene set the romantic tone inside. They had a cozy booth in a corner, ideal for cuddling. He had ordered the Valentine's Day package, so their table was covered with rose petals, which made her squeal in excitement. She couldn't stop grinning after they sat down. Her fiancé wanted them to have a special first date and so far it was a success.

After their waiter took their orders and poured champagne into their glasses, Jackson picked up his glass and smiled at April. He had a difficult time keeping his eyes away from her face. She looked so beautiful sitting inches away from him. If it wasn't Valentine's Day, their first date may not have been as romantic.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked curiously and giggled.

"Because you're incredibly gorgeous tonight, so how can I not stare at you?" he said, working his charming smile on her. Even with the dim lighting, he could see her blushing. "I bet you never had a first date like this one."

"Nope, definitely not," she admitted, shyly smiling.

April rarely went on romantic first dates and the last one she could remember being remotely close to this date was… dinner with Robert Stark. It happened in a high-priced restaurant in the middle of downtown, but did she feel a romantic vibe? Not really. It was a friendly dinner, yet awkward as hell. Those two men were polar opposites of each other. Every time Jackson smiled at her, she felt butterflies in her stomach. Nobody ever made her feel that way before – except for Barry Evans, but he turned out to be an asshole.

Jackson handed April her glass of champagne. "First date, first Valentine's Day together. It took a while for us to end up where we are now, but I couldn't be happier. We have a beautiful son and I can't wait to find out what else is coming our way," he toasted, then he softly kissed her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." They both sipped their champagne before she grinned at him. "That almost sounded like a wedding rehearsal speech. You should write that down and use it again next year."

"No, I'll have an even better speech for that occasion. Something that'll even make Sloan cry like a bitch baby," he quipped.

April chuckled at the thought of Mark Sloan weeping like a little girl at their wedding. "You think he'll cry at his own wedding?"

"I don't know, but if he does I won't hesitate to give him crap about it."

"I always cry at weddings," she shamelessly said. It wasn't a secret to her family and friends. She was a sucker for sweet moments such as two people getting married. Libby and Carl. Kimmie and Tom. Owen and Cristina. Callie and Arizona. Prince William and Kate Middleton. She cried her eyes out when Monica and Chandler got married on _Friends_. "You should only be surprised if I _don't_ cry at our wedding."

Jackson draped his arm around April's waist, scooting closer to her. "Around what time next year do you want to get married?"

"I've always wanted a spring wedding. In a church. Can we get married in a church?" She looked at him slightly concerned. He wasn't as religious as she was, but at least he believed in God. The Avery's were indeed Christians and April's parents made sure Jordan was baptized a month ago. "Since I was a kid, I imagined myself getting married in a church. Both of my sisters did and I'm sure Alice eventually will too, so… please?"

"We can do that," he answered and kissed her cheek. "I don't have a problem with getting married in a church."

April smiled. "When I was 13 years old I made this binder filled with all of my dream wedding plans, from the color of the bridesmaids' dresses to the flavor of the cake," she recalled. "I was either bored or a very lonely person when I made that."

"Do you still have that binder? Maybe we won't need a wedding planner if you still do," he teased.

"Umm, no thank you. I'm pretty sure I even wrote down how my honeymoon would be… virgin and all," she muttered the last part. She caught the awkward stare from Jackson and slightly smiled. "I think it'd be better if we planned our wedding together."

"I might not be the best help when it comes to wedding planning, but I'll try," he admitted. Something dawned on him now that they were talking about their wedding. He felt guilty about not thinking about it more until the wedding topic was brought up. "Charles would've been my Best Man."

Her face slowly dropped. Hearing Charles' name only made her think of Reed. It had been a while since she thought about her dead best friend. "Reed would've been my Maid of Honor… if she hadn't died," she sadly said.

Jackson softly laughed. "Charles and I made a pact when we were first year residents that we'd be each other's Best Man no matter what. Well, actually he had me promise him I'd be his Best Man when he marries Reed." He sighed. "Yeah, that's not happening now."

April grabbed his hand and smiled again. "But they're together now. I think they're together in heaven and they're happy," she assured him. "And they're probably happy for us too."

"Remember when we used to visit them once a month since the shooting?" Jackson grinned when she happily nodded. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

She kissed his cheek and grinned back at him. "Let's do it."

* * *

It was dark out, but they were determined to visit the cemetery after dinner. Despite the protection of her fiancé, April clung on to Jackson's arm like a leech and carried pepper spray in her coat pocket just in case. She hadn't thought about it clearly when they decided to pay their deceased friends a visit, but she tried her hardest not to freak out.

They found Charles and Reed's graves, sitting next to each other like always since they were buried in Seattle. Both felt guilty for abruptly stopping their tradition of visiting them once a month. Life got in the way, but they agreed it wasn't a good enough excuse to forget paying their respects to their best friends who died too soon.

April placed a fresh bouquet of flowers in a vase, which sat in between Charles and Reed's tombstones. She and Jackson stood in silence as they stared at the tombstones in front of them. It took a lot of persuading, but the Percy's and Adamson's agreed to have them buried in Seattle. Reed was originally from San Diego. Charles hailed from Houston. They met at the University of Washington School of Medicine and eventually moved on to Mercy West together for their residency. Jackson and April knew how much Charles loved Reed, even when she hardly acknowledged his feelings. Burying them beside each other was the only way they could be together forever and their families appreciated the idea.

"Hey, guys," April broke the silence. She snuggled close to Jackson. It was pretty damn cold outside. "It's been a while, but we didn't forget you entirely. Umm… a lot has happened since… oh, gosh. I'm such a terrible friend because I can't remember the last time I visited."

"I think it was last March," Jackson recalled. "March 19th, Charles' birthday. You put a party hat on top of his tombstone." He chuckled when he remembered April growing frustrated that day because it was windy and the hat kept flying away. "It was a fun day."

"Oh, yeah. I remember now." She smiled. "We should do that again next month."

Jackson nodded in agreement. "It's a date." He normally let April do the talking when they visited Charles and Reed. He thought speaking to a couple of tombstones was awkward, but he decided to make an exception this one time. "Uhh… April and I have a baby together and… we're engaged. I bet you never saw that coming, huh?"

"His name's Jordan Charles and he's turning into the spitting image of his daddy," she bragged. "He has Jackson's eyes. He's such a sweet baby. You would've loved hogging him, Reed."

"Don't forget he has your dimples," he reminded her. "April tries to pretend he didn't get any of her features, but he did. Jordan's always laughing and smiling, kind of like her. I think he'll grow up to be a spirited, outgoing kid… and a ladies' man."

April lightly slapped Jackson's chest with the back of her hand and laughed. "Hopefully, not like Sloan or Alex." She sighed as she looked back at Charles and Reed's tombstones. "Anyway, we miss you. It's definitely not the same without you two around. I don't mean to sound horrible, but Jackson and I may not have grown closer if that shooting never happened. Reed, you knew how I felt about him and you once said he'd notice me one day. I used to think you were full of crap, but I should've trusted you more, so thank you."

Jackson wrapped his arm around her shoulders, gently rubbing her arm to help keep her warm. "By the way, it's Valentine's Day. I hope you two are having a great time… up there, watching us… down here," he said and smirked. "Just don't watch us all the time. April and I do enjoy our privacy when we're having sex."

"Jackson!" she gasped and shook her head, smiling. "There are some things you don't have to tell them whether they're listening or not."

"Just giving them a heads up," he quipped, then he kissed the side of her head. "We should go. It's cold and our date's not officially over yet. We still have to make it back into our bedroom."

April giggled as she interlocked her fingers with his. "Yeah. I also want to make sure our baby's still intact after being watched by Alex." She quickly waved at the two tombstones. "Bye, guys. We'll be back for Charles' birthday."

They returned to their car, thankful for the working heater during the drive home. It was a successful date. Jackson didn't have any plans other than to take April out on a romantic dinner for their first official date, but visiting their old friends was an added bonus. Now, all he really wanted to do was kick Alex out, check on Jordan and get his fiancé out of her dress.

Entering their apartment, they alerted Alex, who fumbled with the remote control as he tried to change the channel. The problem was he forgot he was watching a DVD, so his attempt to hide what was on the TV screen failed.

"Alex, what are you watching?" April managed to catch a peek of the TV before Alex used his body to block her view. "Are you watching… you're watching _The Notebook_?"

"What? Hell no, I'm not," he scoffed.

She slyly grinned at him as he sniffed while he rubbed his eye with the sleeve of his shirt. "And you're crying?!"

"No! I'm not, dammit!" he replied defensively. "I… I fell asleep on the couch, alright?" Alex folded his arms, scowling at the couple as they laughed at him. "Dude, your DVD collection sucks. Avery, you need to buy more action crap because all of April's movies are chick flicks."

Jackson shrugged. "You couldn't find a basketball game to watch? Of all of the chick flicks you picked to watch, you chose _The Notebook_? Because that protects your masculinity," he teased.

"Shut up," the Peds fellow muttered. "Anyway, Jordan fell asleep an hour ago. Nothing extravagant happened other than I had to change a ridiculously stinky diaper. He was good."

"I'll go check on him right now," April chirped. She approached Alex and handed him a small takeout box. "I thought you'd like a slice of strawberry cheesecake from the restaurant as a reward for babysitting Jordan." She walked towards the hallway leading to the bedrooms. "Thanks, Alex!"

Jackson approached Alex, unable to wipe off the smirk on his face. "_The Notebook_?"

"Do you want to get your ass kicked, Avery?" Alex rebuked. He poked his finger against Jackson's chest. "For the record, this never happened. Got it? I kept my word about not telling anybody about the time I found you crying like a bitch baby in April's empty bedroom after she left."

"Dude, not so loud," he whispered, slightly glaring at his former roommate. "April doesn't know about that."

"Exactly, so you two catching me watching _The_ freakin' _Notebook_ didn't happen either."

"Fine. We're even," he agreed. Jackson patted Alex's back and smiled. "Thanks for watching Jordan, though. I know you'd rather be getting laid right now, but we appreciate you doing this favor for us."

Alex shrugged off the compliment. "Yeah, yeah. No big deal. Date successful?"

"Very," he replied, grinning. "But it's not over yet."

"Oh, geez," he groaned and picked up his jacket from the couch. "I'm out. I don't need to know how horny you've been. Don't deny you've been staring at her boobs all night. Those things look like they're ready to pop out. Night, Avery."

"Later." Jackson closed the door for Alex as he left the apartment. He spent a few minutes turning everything off in the living room before he walked into his bedroom. To his surprise, April was waiting for him under the covers… with her clothes already on the floor. "I thought you were checking on Jordan."

"I already did," she cheerfully said.

He seemed to be frozen where he was standing as he stared at her naked body, which had certain areas strategically covered by the blanket. She bit her lower lip and gave him her best seductive smile. He clearly wasn't expecting to walk into _that_.

"Are you just gonna stand there the whole time or are you gonna join me?" she playfully teased.

Jackson smugly grinned as he loosened his tie. "You are the most amazing woman ever," he declared before he finally walked towards the bed. Happy Valentine's Day, indeed.

* * *

**Thought it'd be nice to include their fellow Mercy Westers at least once. Also, the rest of this story is complete, which means I'll be working on the sequel soon! :D**

**Chapter 16 on Wednesday, time to meet one of Jackson's sisters ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for the reviews! Here's chapter 16. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

It was the weekend of April's trip to Stanford and Jackson felt it was necessary to prepare her for the wrath she was about to face – his oldest sister, Samantha Avery. She wasn't exactly sure why he loathed her, but she also had her share of disliking Libby when they were growing up. The bossy older sister was never fun for her and, based on his complaints about her, for him.

They were at the airport after Jackson drove both her and Kevin for their morning flight to the Bay Area. Three days apart wasn't a big deal to most people, but he couldn't help feeling apprehensive about his fiancé being alone with his sister. To him, it felt like a make or break deal for their relationship. Samantha had called him the day before asking why he never told her April was coming to visit. She gave him a 20-minute lecture about it, most of it he hadn't heard after he set his cell phone on the couch to play with Jordan.

"Remember, when you see Sam just run. Run as fast as you can and don't look back," he warned her while he bounced Jordan in his arms.

"Jackson," she giggled and playfully slapped his shoulder. "If I'm going to be an Avery, I have to get to know your entire family. Stop making your sister sound like she's the Wicked Witch of the West. I'll be okay."

Jackson sighed. "I know, but if she says anything and I mean, _anything_ that might sound offensive, don't take it personal. Sometimes she doesn't understand how arrogant she is," he explained. "And call me if she makes you uncomfortable. I'll take care of it."

April nodded her head back towards Kevin and smirked. "To be honest, I'll probably be more uncomfortable around _him_ than with Sam." She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I have to spend the weekend with him."

"Because I couldn't hear you saying that," Kevin sarcastically said.

"Don't worry about him. Have a good time, okay?" Jackson kissed April on the lips and smiled. "Call me after you land."

"I will," she answered, then she did her daily routine of kissing Jordan's cheeks a bunch of times. "Bye, baby! I'm going to miss you, but I'll make sure to FaceTime with Daddy, so we can see each other."

"Don't worry about us either. Jordan and I will be doing macho man things."

"Oh, yeah. Tea party with Sloan and Derek," she teased. "I know the code name. Meredith told me about it the other day, so quit pretending I don't know." April grabbed the handle of her carry on luggage and grinned. "Wish me luck?"

Jackson smiled. "Good luck with my sister."

"I meant for my presentation!" she playfully scolded him.

"Well, that too of course," he sheepishly replied. Jackson picked up Jordan's hand and waved it for him. "Bye, Mommy! Don't let Aunt Sammy destroy your weekend!"

April laughed at Jackson's pathetic attempt to sound like a baby, then she waved at them as she walked away with Kevin. "Bye, you two! I miss you already!" she shouted and blew a kiss to them.

Jackson watched April until she was no longer in view. He kissed the top of Jordan's head as he left the airport. "What do you think, Jordan? Mommy will be okay?" He smiled when his son looked up at him and cooed. "I think so too."

* * *

The flight would only take about two hours, but she already hated being alone with Kevin. It was very unlike her to hold a grudge for as long as she did. After Alex tried to have sex with her in an on-call room, April had only been pissed at him for about a week. She eventually forgave him and they returned to their daily banters between each other. The difference between Kevin and Alex, though, was that she already knew the latter and Banks was a complete stranger who harassed her.

Everyone tried to assure her that he wasn't a bad guy. Jackson got over his resentment towards Kevin, mainly because he knew April would be marrying him and there was zero chance of her falling for his coworker. She was the type of person who forgave people after a while. It was the Christian thing to do whether she liked the person or not. But for some reason she couldn't forgive Kevin as easily as she forgave Alex every time he treated her like crap.

Their flight had been in the air for about ten minutes and April noticed how fidgety Kevin was in his seat. He offered her the window seat while he took the one next to the aisle. The man was sweating profusely, his right knee bouncing up and down. He tightly clutched the armrests, making his knuckles appear paler than April's skin.

"Umm, are you okay?" she asked concerned.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," he nervously replied, his voice partially cracking. "I just uhh… hate flying."

"Is it because a bunch of our doctors were in a plane crash?"

Kevin shook his head. "I've always hated flying. The lifting off part is the worst. Can't stand turbulence either," he explained, then he looked at April. "You think I'm a wuss, huh?"

"No. A lot of people have a fear of flying. It's not just you," she assured him, then she decided to make nice with him. People always teased her for just about everything. She wasn't going to stoop to their level and tease Kevin for his unexpected phobia. "Talk about yourself. It'll keep your mind off of the flight. Where are you from?"

"Page, Arizona. It's a small town almost five hours outside of Phoenix. Really small, close to Utah's borderline," he answered. "But Page isn't too far from the canyons. Great place to go hiking. Beautiful scenery. There's this lake I always spent my summers at called Lake Powell. Aren't you from a small town?"

"More like a tiny town," she said, softly laughing. "Moline's so small that we don't have a post office. Our zip code is shared with another town, actually. Grew up on a farm. Went to school in Toledo, which was about 20 minutes away. Small towns tend to be more laid back, don't you think?"

Kevin nodded in agreement. "I do think so. Everybody kind of knows everybody. At least you can easily figure out which people to make friends with and which ones to avoid," he added. "So farm girl, how'd you get out of Moline?"

"I got an academic scholarship to the University of Akron. I was admitted into their accelerated program, so I finished my undergraduate studies and medical school in six years," she proudly said. "I was pretty lucky to get in. They only admit 35 people a year for it. What about you?"

"Athletic scholarship from UC Santa Barbara. Played basketball there, then moved on to Case Western Reserve for medical school," he replied and sighed. "Spent ten years there for medical school and my residency, so I guess you can kind of understand why I was so pissed about you getting my job offer."

April slowly nodded. "Okay… but you took my job, so it's almost a fair trade. _Almost_."

He smirked at her. "When you think about it I did bring you and Jackson closer together. If you hadn't punched me, where would you two be now?"

"Probably a board certified surgeon at another hospital," she murmured, then she shrugged. "I guess things happen for a reason. Jackson and Jordan make me happy, so perhaps it _was_ a blessing in disguise."

"So you admit it? I'm responsible for you and Jackson hooking up?" he asked with a grin.

"Don't flatter yourself too much."

Kevin chuckled. "I see we're getting along now. It's good to know I can talk to you without some sarcastic remark fired back at me or you simply giving me a dirty look," he said relieved.

April softly smiled at Kevin. "Well, we're going to be working together starting next week. I might as well get the forgiveness part out of the way, so we can coexist in the pit," she cheerfully replied. "Plus, it turns out we have something in common, growing up in small towns. I think that's neat."

"So, we're friends?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"Sure, but it's going to take a lot more than one similarity to earn my trust," she said, shaking his hand. "But we can work on that."

* * *

The flight went a lot smoother for Kevin, thanks to April's friendly chatter. Upon arrival in San Jose, they were welcomed by a driver holding a sign with their names on it. He drove them up to Palo Alto and dropped them off at the Creekside Inn, a cozy hotel located a couple of minutes away from the Stanford campus. In the lobby waiting for them was Dr. Spain, the Director of Trauma.

"Dr. Kepner, Dr. Banks. Good morning," he greeted them and held out his hand. "I'm Dr. Spain. I head the Trauma program at Stanford. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"It's an honor to meet you, Dr. Spain," April chirped, shaking his hand. "Thank you for inviting us to your hospital."

"Actually, I should be thanking you for coming down here from Seattle. The staff at our hospital is looking forward to learning about the checklist system and the trauma certification lab you two will be presenting," he noted. "We're sort of on a tight schedule since we do have a hospital to run, so you have an hour to get yourself acquainted in your rooms and be ready for your presentations. In the meantime, I'll be waiting for you down here."

The two trauma surgeons checked into their hotel rooms before they went upstairs for some quick relaxation. April took the opportunity to call Jackson since she hadn't done it after they landed in California. She lay back on her bed, calling her fiancé using the FaceTime application and waited for an answer.

Jackson was back at their apartment, playing airplane with Jordan by lifting him over his head while he lay sprawled out on the couch. He couldn't stop grinning at his baby boy's giggles and smiles. The sound of his cell phone ringing forced him to sit up, setting Jordan on his lap. Picking up his cell phone, he immediately answered it after seeing April's number on his screen.

"Hey, you," he said when she appeared on his screen. "How was your flight?"

"It went well. Turned out Kevin's afraid of flying, so I was nice and kept him distracted… by talking, not anything dirty or…" She paused as he smirked at her. "We're good. He doesn't annoy me anymore."

"Good. At least you don't have to worry about him bugging you this weekend. When are you going to Stanford?"

"I have an hour to get ready, then I'm off to impress the doctors… I hope."

"You're going to be great," he reassured her. "Nobody can be more organized than April Kepner. There's no way they'll reject your checklist. It's too straightforward and helpful to ignore." Jackson looked down at Jordan, who was struggling to reach for Benny on the couch. "Jordan, look. It's Mommy."

April furrowed her eyebrows and softly laughed at their son. "What is he doing?"

"He wants Benny," he said, scooting across the couch so Jordan could reunite with his best friend. His tiny hands couldn't exactly pick up the stuffed toy, but he had no problem pulling on its ear and staring at it in awe.

"Can you hold him up for a second? I want to say, 'Hi' to my baby boy," she asked eagerly.

Jackson used his arm to hold Jordan upright for April to see. "There's Mommy, Jordan."

April grinned when their son saw her face and smiled. "Aww, hey there, baby! Do you miss Mommy?" She laughed after he reached for Jackson's cell phone, forcing him to move it away from him. He had been in a grabby phase the past two weeks. Everything within his reach he tried to grab. She had to pull her hair up in a ponytail to prevent him from yanking on her hair. "Being a good boy?"

Jackson nodded with a cheesy grin. "Yup, I am." He laughed as she rolled her eyes. "Yes, he's been good. When isn't he being good? We have a gifted child, in my opinion."

They spent the next ten minutes chatting with April occasionally baby talking to Jordan. After saying their goodbyes and hanging up, she changed into a magenta blouse, a black skirt and black high heels. She made last minute adjustments to her hair, added some makeup and gathered the materials she needed for her presentation before she met up with Kevin and Dr. Spain in the hotel lobby.

Dr. Spain drove them to Stanford Hospital and led them into an auditorium filled with attending surgeons and residents. Both trauma surgeons waited backstage to be introduced, but April suddenly felt the nerves kicking in. Based on the light conversations happening on the opposite side of the wall, she could tell it was a full house and one of those surgeons was her future sister-in-law. She decided not to search for her in the crowd as it would only increase her nervousness.

"What do you think?" she asked while she wore her lab coat. "Lab coat on or off?"

"On. Shows that we proudly represent Seattle Grace Mercy West," Kevin suggested, then he chuckled. "Also prevents them from seeing any potential sweat spots on our clothes."

April knew how humiliating it was to become a sweat machine during her boards. Lab coat was definitely staying on. "Good thinking," she acknowledged.

Dr. Spain stood at a podium, speaking into a microphone to quiet the auditorium. He spent a few minutes talking about Seattle Grace Mercy West, then he introduced April first. He waved at her to walk onto the stage, while the surgeons politely applauded.

Taking a deep breath first, she casually walked onto the stage with her cheerful smile. Her laptop and a large projector screen was set up for her as she held her notes against the podium. It was like she was meant to spot Samantha Avery in the crowd because she stood out easily.

Front and center. She appeared to be a younger version of Catherine Avery. It was scary how much Samantha looked like her mother. Her hair was up in a neat bun. Her bluish-green eyes that she too inherited were noticeable from afar. Dressed in a simple black dress and a lab coat, she was clean and proper. Almost Stepford Wife-like. Possibly flawless. She seemed relatively harmless based on looks alone, but the small smirk on her face made April feel slightly uneasy.

_What the hell was she smirking for?_ _Maybe that was just how her face looked_, she thought. Whatever. She'd worry about it later. It was showtime.

* * *

The presentation went well. April didn't turn into a puddle of sweat and she remained calm throughout her presentation. The doctors appeared genuinely interested in her checklist, having applauded louder than when she first appeared on stage. The response from them was better than she anticipated. She knew if she had done this at Seattle Grace, most of her coworkers wouldn't give a crap, especially people like Alex. He would have dozed off long before she made it onto the stage. To have people listening to her for once was refreshing.

Following Kevin's presentation, most of the doctors began leaving the auditorium to return to work. Dr. Spain spent some time introducing April and Kevin to surgeons they would be working with the next day. One of them was the Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Samantha Avery.

"Ah, here's my future sister-in-law," she said loudly, making her presence known. She hugged April before she could respond. "I can't believe I'm finally meeting you. Jackson's never been great at introducing his lovers to his family. I have no idea why. Maybe they weren't beautiful like yourself."

"Wow, umm… I'm excited to meet you too," the trauma surgeon replied as she pulled away from her. April grinned widely and gestured her hands towards Samantha. "Jackson was apprehensive about us meeting each other, but I had a feeling his worries were pointless."

Samantha dismissively waved her hand. "Oh, my baby brother likes making people think I'm the devil," she scoffed. "What did he call me this time? He always has a name for me."

"Umm, no name," she sheepishly answered. "Just some not so nice adjectives about you."

"Not surprised, to say the least." Samantha motioned her arm towards a Chinese man standing next to her. "Anyway, this is my husband, David Quon. He's the Head of Neuro at Stanford. His father is the Chief of Surgery as well."

April shook David's hand and smiled. "It's nice to meet you. How long have you two been working at Stanford?"

Samantha pointed at herself. "We've both been here for four years." She linked her arm with David's. "My husband and I met at Harvard during medical school. David also attended Stanford, so his father didn't hesitate to offer us positions at his hospital. I don't know how it is up in Seattle, but you can't go wrong with working in sunny California. Gosh, isn't it always gloomy in Seattle? That doesn't depress you?"

"No… not at all," she slowly answered. "I think Seattle's pretty great, actually."

"Really? Because you're awfully pale," she bluntly said, picking up April's hand. "You're clearly not getting enough sun up there, dear. You almost look like one of those _Twilight_ vampires with that skin of yours."

"Uhh… thanks?"

"Not a compliment, dear," Samantha said with a smirk. "Anyway, I made sure to put you on my service today, so I can see your checklist at work. It's a very good idea, April. The last thing we want is to kill our patients because we missed a simple step."

April was forcing her grin by then, biting her lower lip. "Of-of course. It's never fun watching a patient die because of a preventable mistake," she nervously replied. Was Samantha a psychic? It was like she already knew all of her flaws. "That's why I created the checklist."

"Ah, so you killed a patient?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I-I… didn't mean to… umm, accidentally," she stammered. "The scene was chaotic, but I've redeemed myself."

"Anyone can make mistakes, but not everyone can be perfect. That's what my grandfather wrote in all of my birthday cards," Samantha boasted. "And he is so right. By the way, I made reservations for dinner for the two of us at six. It'll give us a chance to get to know each other better. You seem like a bundle of energy, so preserve that for later."

April nodded, though she was beginning to understand why Jackson always complained about his sister. However, she was determined to suck it up and take her fiancé's advice of not taking anything she says personally. "Sure. I'm looking forward to it," she politely agreed.

Samantha let go of her husband's arm and gently took April's. "Now, let me take you to the hospital. We have some fascinating machines that I'm pretty sure Seattle Grace doesn't own in their hospital. I'll also introduce you to a couple of cases and we'll go over your checklist then. I know we're supposed to do this tomorrow, but it's never a bad idea to get tasks done ahead of time. Plus, it gives us even more time to talk about why you're so smitten by my baby brother."

"Sounds good," she said, putting on her fakest smile. She could already tell it was going to be a _long_ day.

* * *

Jackson didn't want to keep Jordan in the apartment all day, so he brought him to the hospital. His coworkers were on their lunch break in the attendings lounge making it a good opportunity to hang out with them briefly. It was also lunchtime for Jordan, so he made himself comfortable on the couch while he fed him his milk.

"So, has April called crying to you about your sister yet?" Cristina jokingly asked. "No offense, Avery, but your sister's a lunatic. Stanford would've been a better option if I didn't have to work under her."

"None taken. She _is_ a lunatic," he replied and laughed. "What turned you off? The fact that she's an Avery or that you found somebody who's more arrogant than you are?"

"Hmm… both. I especially hated her little motto. Something like, anyone can make mistakes-"

"But not everyone can be perfect," he finished the sentence, rolling his eyes. "And by that she means _she's_ perfect and everybody else is below her. It's a stupid phrase my grandfather kept writing in her birthday cards, so she's completely full of herself now."

Cristina smirked at Jackson. "It's sort of unbelievable that you're related to her. And April has to spend a weekend with her? Seriously, good luck to Kepner," she chuckled. "Are you worried at all?"

Jackson pointed at himself. "I've been worried since she told me about the trip. When it comes to drilling people she's worse than my mom."

"She'll be fine," Meredith chimed in. "Your mom loves her, right? Why should your sister's opinion of April be more important than your mom's?"

"It's not, but you know April. She can be sensitive. She says she doesn't let things get to her easily anymore, but I doubt she's faced someone like Sam before," he said, then he softly chuckled. "Sam could probably make Karev piss his pants."

Cristina nodded in agreement. "I will actually agree with you, Pretty Boy." She watched Jackson finish feeding Jordan and hold him upright on his lap, so he could burp him. Something about watching other people's babies was cute in a way, but the thought of her taking care of her own always made her feel sick. Even she couldn't deny the fact that Jordan was one of the most adorable babies she had ever seen. "Is there anything annoying about that baby? I'm only asking because he has Kepner's genes."

"Nope. Not a thing," Jackson replied, gently patting Jordan's back. "He's a happy baby. We got a well-behaved baby, thank God, unless he's waiting until he's two to unleash his terrible side. April and I are handling parenthood rather smoothly."

* * *

She thought she would be drilled by Samantha the entire time they were together at the hospital, but that wasn't the case. April suspected she was waiting until dinner to ask her the juicy questions. She figured it would have been poor manners to interrogate her in front of her Stanford colleagues. Based on observations during her first visit in the hospital, they bowed down to Samantha because she was an Avery who married the Chief's son. She intimidated her coworkers without even trying. Her presence alone made residents and interns shake in their scrubs. Despite how prestigious Stanford was, anybody who wanted to work under Samantha in Cardio had to have large and indestructible balls. April was completely satisfied with choosing Trauma.

April was able to return to her hotel for a quick rest. She used her free time to take a nap. Walking around in high heels while trying to keep up with Samantha's fast pace was exhausting, but she did admire the fact that slacking off was frowned upon. Stanford's staff consisted of hardnosed, efficient doctors. They took pride in being one of the best hospital's in the country and worked hard to keep it that way. Their program made Seattle Grace Mercy West look like a summer camp.

At quarter to six, Samantha picked her up from the hotel. She ended up changing her top after she realized wearing her lab coat all day created numerous sweat stains on her blouse. Thankfully, none of them were visible when she had her lab coat on. She settled with a green blouse she knew wouldn't make her look like a nervous wreck.

Samantha had chosen an Italian restaurant for dinner. They were seated in the corner, so their conversation wouldn't be interrupted by "clumsy and inconsiderate people", according to the cardiothoracic surgeon. After they ordered their dinners, the drilling followed almost immediately.

"So tell me, April. What makes you so much better than all of the different women Jackson has had in his life?"

"Well…" April picked up her wine glass, taking a sip before she finished her response. "We've been friends since we met at Mercy West. We're best friends. He trusts me and I trust him. Jackson's the only guy I know who never hesitated to protect me when other people treated me like crap." She softly laughed. "And umm, I gave him a son. I would think that separates me from his exes."

"Can I see a picture of my nephew? Jackson's such a slacker when it comes to sending me updated pictures of Jordan," she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Oh! Of course," April chirped. She opened the photo album on her cell phone and showed Samantha a picture of Jordan smiling on the couch. "Here he is. He's such a sweetheart just like his daddy."

Samantha took a moment to stare at the picture, then she smirked. "A sweetheart, huh? That boy better keep it in his pants when he's older. Jackson certainly didn't," she scoffed. "But now that he's settling down with you, I guess it's not a bad thing anymore. How about you? Was having sex a part of your daily life like my baby brother's?"

"I… uhh…" April drank more wine, then she forced herself to laugh. "No. I was a virgin… for a very, _very_ long time."

"Oh? So Jackson was your first?"

"Yes," she timidly said.

"And he got you pregnant too," she replied and laughed. "Hey, at least he wasn't a random stranger you met at the bar. You could've done much, much worse, dear. Your son's an Avery. Our grandfather already sees him as the next golden child in cardiothoracics."

April slowly nodded. "But umm… it's not guaranteed that Jordan will become a surgeon. He-he could want to grow up to become something else."

"Like what? A farmer?" she jokingly asked, ignoring April's glare. "Oh, April. You're a hoot. Jackson's a surgeon, you're a surgeon, the majority of the Avery clan are surgeons. Jordan's going to be surrounded by doctors and hospitals as he grows older. He'll eventually seek interest in surgery. It's already in his blood."

This was the part Jackson warned her the most about. Samantha's mouth running off as if she could never offend anybody was his biggest worry. April reminded herself to stay calm and remember she was marrying Jackson and not his sister.

"Sure, but not everybody was born to be a surgeon," she replied defensively. "Jordan could still have a respectable career that has nothing to do with medicine. Jackson and I agreed we wouldn't force a surgical career on him when he's old enough to understand what we do."

"That's nonsense, April. Jordan's going to carry on the Avery name," she said, dismissively waving her hand. "My sister and I don't have any children yet. We're so dedicated to our careers that we don't have time to raise children." Samantha leaned forward against the table with a smirk on her face. "And for the record, I'm the better cardiothoracic surgeon."

"Duly noted," April said with a forced smile.

"If we took time off to have children, then we would be wasting our time," she continued, taking a sip from her wine glass. "Our poor excuse for a father is a prime example of why having children at the peak of your career is a bad idea. At least Joslyn and I got to spend time with him when we were young toddlers. Jackson was kind of a… surprise, I guess. Grandpa was thrilled to be having a grandson, but he's been… _disappointing_ thus far."

April raised her eyebrow at Samantha. "Disappointing how? He's a good surgeon."

Samantha chuckled. "Can he repair a heart or a lung as a plastic surgeon? Absolutely not," she arrogantly said. "Little Egbert's wasting his time turning B-cups into D-cups and fixing noses for people who don't want to look like Pinocchio. I suppose marrying a trauma surgeon doesn't completely shame the Avery family crest."

"You _suppose_?" April questioned, sounding more annoyed by her snarky remarks. "What is that supposed to mean? Trauma requires full alertness and quick decision making because we don't have a lot of time to speculate what will happen next. We're just as important as Cardio."

"Full alertness, dear? Is that how you killed a patient?" she asked, smirking at her once again. "Oh, and a little birdie told me you failed your boards. Avery's do _not_ fail their boards."

April pointed at herself. "Well, I'm not an Avery… yet. I'm a Kepner and we tend to believe in second – or third – chances," she retorted. At this point, she couldn't care less that she had been raising her voice.

"I've been fired twice for two very different reasons, but I haven't given up on becoming a board certified surgeon. I was in a horrible car accident with my son and we survived that because it wasn't our time yet. And Jackson is a great plastic surgeon. He studied under one of the best plastic surgeons in the country, so I have no doubt in my mind that he'll become one of the best in the future. He's proud of his choice to go into Plastics and it sounds to me that whatever he does will never be good enough for your family because he didn't choose Cardio. I, for one, am _glad_ he didn't go that route. Otherwise, he would've turned into an arrogant, self-righteous robot like yourself. Jackson is a good father and I know he'll be a good husband as well because he cares about others, unlike yourself. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pee!"

Samantha stared at April, her eyebrow raised and her hand resting against her chest, as her future sister-in-law excused herself from their table to use the women's restroom. "Whew, girl's got spunk."

* * *

Jackson handed Jordan a yellow rubber ducky as he bathed him in the bathtub. His son stuffed its head into his mouth for a brief second before his little hands dropped it into the water. He was fascinated enough with the water, splashing it around with his hands. After cleaning his hair with baby shampoo and rinsing it off with water, he picked up his son and covered him with a tiger robe.

"All done, Jordan," he cheerfully said as he unplugged the bathtub's drain. "Let's get you into your pajamas and ready for bed."

Walking out of the bathroom and into the nursery, Jackson's cell phone began ringing in his pocket. He hoped it was April, but instead it was Samantha calling him. He softly groaned before he answered her FaceTime call. "You better not be calling to tell me that April doesn't want to marry me anymore because of something you said."

"Oh, Egbert-"

"Don't call me Egbert. I hate it when you call me that," he sternly said. Jackson set his cell phone next to Jordan on top of the changing station. "I just finished giving Jordan a bath, so don't assume I'm intentionally ignoring you like I usually do if I don't respond fast enough for you."

"Your fiancé called me an arrogant and self-righteous robot," Samantha said with a serious tone in her voice.

Jackson smiled while he fastened Jordan's diaper. "It's good to know somebody had the guts to say it to your face."

"She even had the nerve to make me look like an idiot in public. Had she been a resident or an intern at my hospital, she would've been fired and her recommendations wouldn't be very pleasant for future references."

"Big freakin' deal, Sam. You obviously got yourself in trouble with that mouth of yours. It's about time somebody stood up against your arrogance," he argued. "April's going to be my wife. Mom loves her and despite how irritating Grandpa can be, he loves her too. Honestly, your opinion doesn't matter to me because you've never liked any of the women I've been with, so-"

"I _like_ her, Jackson," Samantha interrupted him and smiled.

Jackson furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Wait, what?"

"She's this cute and feisty ball of energy. Doesn't take my crap like the others do. None of the past girlfriends I met ever fought back until I met April. You can't be an Avery without a backbone. She's a keeper, my dear brother."

"So uhh, where is she now?"

"In the restroom. After she told me off, she needed to pee. I think she even surprised herself with the little speech she gave me," she answered, smiling. "Listen, I know we never got along growing up and to this day, we still bicker like children. For the record, I've never made it my goal to ensure that you stay single and unhappy. Like mother, I want what's best for you. If you let this girl get away, then you're dumber than I thought."

"I will pretend you didn't just call me dumb, but thanks." Jackson started dressing Jordan into his pajamas. "I've known April for years. She's not like the other women I dated after knowing them for a few months. I really love her. She makes me happy, so uhh... take it easy on her when she comes back. She wanted to make a good first impression with you."

"And she did, earlier this morning during her presentation. David's father is heavily considering her checklist system for our hospital and she doesn't know this, but Dr. Spain thinks she would be a good fit at Stanford," she added. "Don't be surprised if he tries to lure her away from Seattle Grace."

Jackson softly laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, but if I'm staying in Seattle, then so is she."

Samantha pointed at herself. "Umm, did you forget we're related, Egbert? I can find room for you too… even if it's for Plastics," she mentioned the last part grimacing.

Jackson sighed, rolling his eyes. "Plastics isn't going away, Sam. I won't be having second thoughts about my decision, but uhh, think of it this way. Since I'm the first plastic surgeon in the family I'm creating my own legacy. I don't have to worry about living up to someone else's expectations. Grandpa may think you're a Cardio goddess now, but he'll always believe he's better than both you and Jos. I don't have that pressure."

Samantha smirked. "Touché, baby brother. Touché." She noticed April was on her way back from the restroom. "Well, April's coming back. I'll apologize to her, okay? Like I said before, she's a keeper. She's already an Avery in my mind."

"Good. Thank you," he said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Bye."

After hanging up his cell phone, he picked up Jordan and held him against his shoulder. He sang his son to sleep, a routine he continued to do whenever April wasn't in the room, then he gently laid him in his crib. As he left the nursery, he opened a text message from April, which was probably sent to him while she was in the restroom.

_I think your sister hates me. I'll call you later after she's done insulting me. Love you!_

Jackson simply laughed, settling down on the couch in the living room and turning on the TV. He knew immediately that their conversation wouldn't consist of his fiancé ranting all night to him about his evil sister. _She's a keeper_, he kept playing Samantha's words in his head. He definitely agreed.

* * *

**The stuff about Moline I got from Wikipedia. I wasn't making that up ;) Chapter 17 will be posted on Sunday.**

**There's been a lot of fluffiness in the second half of this story, so I'm thinking I might go a little dark with the sequel. They need some drama (that doesn't involve cheating), lol. Yes/no?**

**And as always, let me know what you think, please :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, folks! Thanks for the reviews!**

**So I wrote this one before 9x03 aired and at the time I didn't care for the interns. I still kinda don't, but a couple of them are growing on me because I like the actors who play them. Anyway, we haven't seen April interacting with them yet, so I decided to write a chapter about it. Enjoy!**

* * *

First day back at work. April felt a variety of emotions. Anxious, excited, nervous. For her, it was a big deal since she hadn't stepped a foot into an OR since late May. She hoped she wouldn't be too rusty on the job. She knew Owen was keeping a close eye on her until she could prove she was mentally prepared to operate again.

Dropping Jordan off at the daycare center took longer than expected. What should have taken a couple of minutes ended being ten minutes. April was reluctant to let go of her baby boy. Jackson had to pry him out of her hands, so they could change into their scrubs. She had gotten used to spending almost all of her free time with Jordan, making it more difficult to return to the hectic life in the ER. Part of her still felt like the new kid. Jackson and the others already adjusted to being attendings, while she was just beginning her new role – non-board certified, of course. She would still be a step behind everyone else. At least she could boss around residents and interns. She thought maybe they would be more cooperative with her than with people like Alex and Cristina.

April wore her navy blue scrub top and it finally hit her that she survived her residency, despite being fired _again_. Oh, well. It was a fresh start for her. No more baby blue scrubs and no more residents ignoring her as Chief Resident. She looked at the black wrist brace on her left forearm and sighed. Callie had officially cleared her for surgery, but her wrist continued to feel tender and sore at times.

"Should I ditch the brace?" she asked Jackson, who was changing beside her. "Do you think patients might assume I'm not fit to examine them because of the brace? Or will the scars make them more uneasy?"

"Torres said you should only wear it at work if your wrist is bothering you," he reminded her. "Is it sore right now?"

"No," she said, slowly unfastening the brace. "You think I should check on Jordan before I go down to the pit?"

Jackson smiled, shaking his head. "He's fine. Jordan didn't cry when we left him. He's in good hands."

April tossed her brace into her locker, slightly frowning. "I'm nervous. I don't know why I'm so nervous, but I just think seeing Jordan one more time will calm me down."

"If you visit him in daycare, then you'll never make it to the pit," he warned. Jackson grabbed her shoulders and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I know you're scared because it's your first day back, but you'll do great."

"You're right. I'm probably just psyching myself out for no reason at all." She put on her lab coat and neatly fixed the collar. After double checking her pockets for the supplies she typically carries with her, she took a deep breath and grinned. "Well, I'm off. Time to save lives again."

He quickly kissed her lips. "Remember to relax, okay? Love you."

"Love you too!" she chirped and left the attendings locker room determined to have a good first day back.

* * *

She didn't know the interns very well, though she could remember a few of them stopping by her room when she was a patient. At first, it was awkward having them follow her around, but it eventually felt empowering. She was the "new" attending and they only knew her as April Kepner the patient, at least she hoped so.

Two interns were on her service that day, Shane Ross and Jo Wilson. Both were relieved to be working with April because Cristina intimidated the hell out of them, Meredith was a less evil version of her Twisted Sister, the female interns had a hard time concentrating around Jackson and Alex was… Alex. If they were going to suck up to someone easily, it was April.

She finished suturing a gash on a young construction worker's forehead. He was the clumsy type who wasn't paying attention to where he was going and knocked his head into a piece of wood being carried by his coworker.

"There you go, Mr. Reynolds," she said as she covered the stitches with a dressing. "You don't have a concussion, so you're free to go. Just uhh, wear your hard hat at all times, so this doesn't happen again."

"Thank you, Dr. Kepner," the man replied before he left the ER with a coworker who brought him to the hospital.

Jo approached April while she cleaned up her workspace. "I umm, finished Mr. Ashford's rectal exam. Everything came out clean. No growths or abnormalities that I could find. I even used a transrectal ultrasound to be on the safe side and his prostate was fine," she reported. "But since he did claim to have blood in his stool I asked for a sample and I sent it up to the lab for testing."

"Nice work, Dr. Wilson," the Trauma fellow cheerfully said. "By the way, expect more rectal exams to come your way. I sure as hell won't be touching those unless some incompetent intern doesn't know what they're doing."

"Oh-oh, I know what I'm doing," Jo timidly assured her. "I love rectal exams." She immediately regretted her words when April raised her eyebrow at her. "I mean, I don't _love_ them. I mean-"

"She means she would love to give Dr. Avery a rectal exam," Shane chimed in, drawing a glare from his fellow intern. The whole surgical wing was aware of Jackson and April's engagement. Plus, he wanted to make Jo look bad so he could get more OR time.

April softly laughed. "Uhh, no. That won't be happening even if he needed one." She watched a woman in a waitress outfit walk through the sliding doors. She appeared pale and in need of assistance. "Dr. Wilson, why don't you check on that young lady over there? She's not looking so good."

Jo followed orders and approached the waitress. "Hi, I'm Dr. Wilson. Can I help you with something?" she politely asked.

"I haven't been… uhh, feeling well since last night," she replied, slowly breathing in and out. "Thought it was… food poisoning, but-"

Both April and Shane grimaced when the waitress vomited all over Jo's shoes. The male intern held back his laugh as his coworker disgustingly stared at her shoes. "As a heads up, Dr. Wilson hates the smell of vomit. She'll crack any second now," he whispered.

April decided to save her from humiliation and walked towards the two women. She smiled at the waitress and gestured her hand towards an open hospital bed. "Hello, I'm Dr. Kepner. How about we have you lie down over there, so I can examine you?" She looked at Jo and scrunched her nose. "Why don't you go clean your shoes before that dries?"

She helped the waitress onto the bed, then she picked up a clipboard. "Can you tell me your name, please?"

"Stacy," the waitress quietly said before she covered her mouth with her hand. Shane offered a bucket, but she shooed him away. "Stacy Donaldson."

"And how old are you, Stacy?"

"I'm 21," she responded and groaned. "I feel like shit. I'm dying, huh?"

"Umm, no. You're not dying." April placed a thermometer in her patient's mouth. She waited a minute before she took it out and checked her temperature. "But you do have a small fever. Can you recall how long you've been feeling sick?"

"I don't know. Maybe since ten last night? I thought maybe it was food poisoning, but I didn't throw up until I got here," she explained, then she pointed at her abdomen. "I've been having some serious pain down there too. Will this take long? Because I have to go to work."

April slightly smiled at Stacy. "Yeah, I don't think you'll be going to work today," she said as she palpated her abdomen. She watched her wince in a specific area and looked at Shane. "We've got pain at McBurney's point. Could you get the portable ultrasound, please? We need to check her appendix."

"My appendix?!" the young women panicked. "Will I need surgery?"

"Most likely, but if it hasn't ruptured yet, you'll be fine in a few days. It's nothing to worry about. It's a fairly simple procedure." She continued her examination, recording her medical history and other important information. After Shane returned with the portable ultrasound, she quickly adjusted Stacy's top and applied gel on the right side of her abdomen. She gently placed the transducer on her skin, then she nodded confidently. "Yup, you definitely have appendicitis. Fortunately, it hasn't ruptured, but we'll have to admit you now so we can get that appy out before it does. We'll also run some blood tests to make sure you don't have any infections. Dr. Ross will take care of your blood tests."

Jo returned from the restroom and approached April. "Is there anything I can do, Dr. Kepner?"

"Yes," April answered, handing over Stacy's chart to her. "Can you make sure Ms. Donaldson gets admitted and call her mother? She'll need an appendectomy."

Owen had been observing April in the ER since she started working. She seemed to be handling herself well, but he wanted to check on her anyway. "Dr. Kepner," he called out as he walked towards her. "How are you feeling? Everything going alright with you?"

April nodded and smiled. "I'm great. Actually, I've got a patient with appendicitis and I'd really love to scrub in for this one. Bailey doesn't need to waste time on an appendectomy and neither does Grey. It's quick and simple and-"

"A surgery that anybody can botch if their head isn't fully in the game," he interrupted her. Owen watched his student's face drop and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, I know how eager you are to jump back into the OR, but you don't need to waste your time on an appy either. C'mon, you're better than an appendectomy. When the right time comes I'll let you scrub in on a more challenging surgery."

She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The last time she performed an appendectomy was as a fourth year resident. At Mercy West, she was the lucky intern who got to scrub in for the infamous solo surgery designed for her to fail. However, she proved her attending wrong and successfully completed the surgery in front of her peers. Appendectomies were normally a piece of cake for her, but she thought returning to work after half a year of being away from an operating table would be challenging enough.

"I'll tell you what, have Dr. Ross or Dr. Wilson scrub in for the appendectomy. You'll keep an eye on them and if something goes horribly wrong, then you can take over," he offered. "Besides, it's more fun torturing interns. Embrace that power, Kepner."

After Owen walked away from her, April returned to her patient's bedside with a sly grin on her face. "Dr. Ross, Dr. Wilson. For one of you, consider this your lucky day."

* * *

"Any minute now," April declared, staring at the entrance of the attendings lounge. After making sure Stacy was stable in her hospital room, she had her two interns run a few of errands for her. Whoever arrived first would perform the appendectomy.

"What did you make them do anyway?" Cristina asked while she ate her lunch. She admitted once before that she loved mean Kepner. She was glad to know that the unVirgin Mary was bossing around interns just like all of the other attendings.

"Well, I sent Wilson to Dermatology to pick up some ointment that helps fade my scars and stretch marks and I had Ross take care of a rectal exam because Wilson already did one this morning. After they finished that, I told Wilson to deal with a patient who came in with a possible staph infection with pus spewing out of his hairy stomach and I sent Ross to Pharmaceuticals to pick up my birth control, which he wasn't too pleased about. And lastly, whoever gets here first with my soy latte gets to scrub in," she cheerfully explained.

Cristina nodded in approval. "Not bad, Kepner. And on your first day back, already ordering interns around like they're your servants."

"You know, before you came back Wilson already botched an appendectomy," Meredith pointed out. "I had to cover her ass after she choked. Then again, it was expected. I mean, it was the infamous intern solo surgery after all."

"Oh! I nailed that at Mercy West," April proudly said. She continued to grin, despite the awkward stares from the Twisted Sisters. "What? I knew I was supposed to fail, but I didn't. Originally, Jackson was supposed to do it, but when he saw a camera recording him he umm… fainted before he could cut."

"And thank you for sharing one of the most embarrassing moments of my life," Jackson murmured as he leaned against a counter eating his lunch. He smirked at his fiancé. "I thought that was never going to be spoken of again."

April slightly grimaced. "Sorry, sweetie. It just slipped out."

"Dude, you passed out?" Alex asked from the couch. He chuckled when the pretty boy shot a glare at him. "And we thought George was a chump for almost killing his patient. You didn't even touch yours, loser."

Meredith turned around in her seat to look at Alex. "Heart in an elevator."

He furrowed his eyebrows and scowled back at her. "Bitch." The Peds fellow pushed himself up from the couch after he finished his lunch. "By the way, April, Ross is kissing your ass because he stared at your boobs once when Yang was changing your dressings. No big deal. There are worse boobs out there that can haunt a guy forever."

The redhead stared at Alex flabbergasted as he left the attendings lounge. She looked at Cristina, who quickly nodded to confirm the incident, then she rolled her eyes. "So I have to choose between a pervert and a doctor who already messed up an appendectomy?" She pouted as she bit her apple slice. "Hunt should've just let me do it like I requested. I want to cut someone open!"

"Because that didn't make you sound like a psychopath," Cristina quipped.

Suddenly, Shane burst into the lounge and Jo followed a second later. Both of them had a coffee cup in one hand, panting heavily. The four fellows stared at them amused.

"Got… your… latte," Shane gasped in between each word. He pointed his finger at Jo. "She already… botched an appendectomy… so… my turn."

"Shane!" Jo snapped, glaring at the male intern. She faced April with a look of desperation. "He practically body checked me on the way here! I was done way before he was. I just got kind of lost."

April stroked her chin as her eyes switched back and forth between the two interns. Technically, Shane won, but she had a soft side for Jo. As a person who always believed in second chances after her own personal experiences, she thought she could pass on some wisdom to the latter.

"Considering Dr. Wilson never completed her first appendectomy, I'm going to give her a chance to redeem herself," she decided before she sternly looked at Shane. "And Dr. Ross, if you keep sucking up to me because you can't get enough of my boobs, I'll make sure you get the most revolting, stomach churning cases next week. Am I clear?"

Shane quickly nodded, setting the coffee cup on the table. "Very clear, Dr. Kepner."

She grinned after he left in a hurry. "That was fun," she said in her high-pitched voice. "I'll see you in the OR, Dr. Wilson."

Jo nodded and placed the other coffee cup in front of April. "Thank you, Dr. Kepner. I won't let you down. I promise I won't-"

"Get out of here before I physically throw you out," Cristina cut her off, then she smiled to herself when Jo walked out of the lounge, avoiding eye contact with her and Meredith. "I love scaring interns."

April sipped her soy latte and offered the extra one to Jackson. "This is for embarrassing you earlier," she insisted.

Jackson accepted the coffee cup, then he leaned forward close to her neck. "It's gonna take more than a soy latte to make up for it," he softly said and kissed his fiancé's cheek. "Hopefully, you won't be too exhausted after work."

"Oh, get a room," the cardiothoracic surgeon scoffed. "You two are so compatible it disgusts me."

"I'll gladly take that compliment considering it's from you, Yang."

April raised her eyebrow as Jackson began whispering an idea into her ear. Her mouth dropped open, then she shook her head. "Umm, no. That's… out of the question."

"It's just a _consult_," he said, though the mischievous grin on his face showed he was clearly lying.

She tried to avoid them, but those eyes were staring right at her. Then he started using that charming smile of his. She did kind of owe him. Casually standing up from her seat, she picked up her coffee cup and trash. "I think I have time for a consult before I scrub in."

Cristina rolled her eyes when the happy couple hurried out of the lounge like giddy high school kids. "Consult my ass!" she shouted as the door closed.

* * *

April had lost track of time during her on-call room romp with Jackson, but she made it into the OR before Jo started her appendectomy procedure. She drew a curious stare from the young intern, only because she hadn't realized there was a fresh hickey on her neck. If there was time to clean herself up better, she would have noticed it in a mirror and covered it up.

She stood a few feet behind Jo, who appeared hesitant to make her first cut. "Everything alright, Dr. Wilson?"

"Uhh, yes. I'm just… trying to recollect myself," the meek intern replied. "This is my first appy since I failed the only appy I've done when I just started my internship."

"I'm aware and that's why I decided to give you a second chance. If you're scared of botching this surgery and you keep thinking of the worst possible scenario, then you _will_ botch it and you're gonna be walking through the hallways thinking you're some big failure," she advised. "But you know what? When I was an intern I successfully kicked this surgery's ass because I came in with a positive attitude. You're already thinking you're gonna fail, so if you don't want to do this then step aside and let me take over. It's my first day back on the job and I sure as hell don't want one of my patients dying on my _first day back_."

Jo quickly nodded, taking a deep breath before she used her scalpel to make an incision. "We all thought you'd be the easy attending," she admitted. "Dr. Karev said you were a big pushover."

April rolled her eyes. "Well, Dr. Karev once had syphilis, so I hope you weren't one of the many women he slept with." She looked up at the gallery where most of the other female interns appeared disgusted and concerned, which made her smile behind her surgical mask. "Continue, Dr. Wilson."

She remained quiet as Jo continued the procedure. Everything was running smoothly until the machines started beeping like crazy. "What did you do?"

"I… she's bleeding… umm, a lot."

"Well, are you going to just stand there and watch her bleed out or are you going to fix the problem?" April raised her hands in front of her chest when Jo turned around using her eyes to ask for help. "Don't look at me. You can't expect your attending to cover your ass every time you mess up. Figure out the problem and fix it yourself. Otherwise, you'll never learn." She sighed as her intern continued to panic. "I'm trying to help you. Stop, take a deep breath and think. You'll figure it out."

At least she hoped she would. While she enjoyed intimidating Jo, she was serious when she said she didn't want anybody dying on her first day back at Seattle Grace. A patient dying during an appendectomy and under her watch? Yeah, that would convince Owen he was right about rehiring her.

After an unbearable minute, the machines returned to normal letting April know the bleeding was under control. She let out a sigh of relief when Jo announced she was closing up. "Nice job, Dr. Wilson," she complimented. "I told you so."

Once the surgery was finished and Stacy was taken to her recovery room, the two surgeons scrubbed out together at the sink. Jo felt better about this appendectomy than the first since she completed it by herself, but the mixed signals from April made her uneasy. "You think I'm weak, don't you?"

"I beg your pardon?" the trauma surgeon asked while she rinsed the soap off of her hands.

"You think I'm weak because I need an attending to hold my hand during a simple procedure."

"If I thought you were weak, then I would've finished the surgery for you. You stopped panicking and you pulled through. That doesn't make you weak," she assured her. "And you're an intern. We're supposed to look down at you guys because you're practically like babies. You don't know a whole lot yet, but you will eventually."

"People talk and… I heard you were fired twice. Once for killing a patient and more recently for not passing your boards," she said curiously. "I was at the top of my class in everything. And to just free fall like that? I don't know how I'd be able to pick myself up if that happened to me."

April dried her hands, then she turned to face Jo. "I used to be like you. I thought I had my whole life set, but that clearly wasn't what happened. Everyone makes mistakes, they move on and it gets better again. It took me a long time to finally accept this, but shit happens. Instead of dwelling on past and future failures, you just deal with whatever hand you're dealt, but it's up to you to decide how your life plays out. I'm happy with mine because something good came out of all of that crap I faced," she explained before she headed for the door. "By the way, remember to cover Stacy's post-ops and only page me if she's dying. Other than that, smile. It's okay to smile and gloat about how well you did in front of your fellow interns. You earned the right."

She left the scrub room, smiling brightly. While she would have loved to be cutting a person open, knocking sense into people, especially clueless interns, with her words was satisfying too.

* * *

"And then I said, 'Are you going to just stand there and watch her bleed out or are you going to fix the problem?'" April, in her baby talk voice, explained to Jordan, who sat across from her on her lap in the daycare center. She used his little hands, waving his arms around while she told him her story. He appeared to be entertained as he smiled nonstop at her. "Mommy's not a pushover anymore, no she's not."

Jackson had time in between surgeries, so he decided to visit Jordan at daycare. By the time he arrived, April was inside talking to their son about how her day went so far and watched from the doorway. He loved watching them interact, especially after what they both went through four months ago. He was slightly embarrassed to admit it to her, but he wished he had the opportunity to talk to her belly when she was pregnant. With the next baby, he would definitely do it.

He walked into the daycare center when she finished her story. Sitting down in the tiny plastic chair beside his fiancé, he kissed her cheek and rubbed the back of Jordan's head. "Sounds like you two are having a nice day."

"I was just telling Jordan how I kicked as- _butt_ in the OR without picking up a scalpel," she cheerfully replied. "How did your cleft lip repair go?"

"Went well. Baby will barely have a scar," he proudly said. "So, you're doing alright? Not too tired yet?"

April nodded. "I'm fine. I'm happy to be back." She lightly bounced Jordan on her lap. "The interns are quickly learning to respect me. Can you believe Karev told them I'm a pushover? So far, I've proved him wrong – while also scaring the female interns when I mentioned he had syphilis in the past."

Jackson smiled. "Good. I love it when you take control, like earlier in the-"

"Hey, there are kids in the room," she scolded him as she covered Jordan's ears. April giggled and shook her head. "Do you want our child to be banned from daycare because of your inappropriateness?"

"You like my inappropriateness," he teased and she responded by rolling her eyes.

April's pager alerted her, then her face lit up when she read the message. "Woo! Incoming trauma!" She bit her lip, sheepishly grinning at Jackson. "Well, I mean it gives me something big to do since the page is from Hunt."

He watched her stand up and leave the daycare center with Jordan in her arms. "Uhh, April!"

"Yeah?" she asked, peeking her head inside.

"The baby," he chuckled, motioning his arms towards himself. "You don't want to traumatize Jordan this early in his life, do you?"

"Oh, God!" April grimaced as she walked back into the daycare center. She handed their baby boy to Jackson and quickly kissed his cheek and her fiancé's lips. "See you two later!"

After she left again, Jackson held Jordan in front of his face and grinned. "In case you haven't noticed, your mom's attached to you. This will continue on to preschool, Kindergarten, junior high, high school, college and maybe even medical school. Just remember it's because she loves you." His son smiled in response. "Good. You get it."

* * *

**To be honest, I don't really like Jo, so I had fun with this one lol.**

**Only 3 more chapters left... Chapter 18 on Wednesday! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks for the reviews! To answer a guest review: there is a sequel in the works, so although this story is almost finished, _their_ story won't be yet ;)**

**Here's chapter 18! Enjoy!**

* * *

April was a hard month to forget considering her parents freakin' named her after it. Her personal theory was they asked 2-year old Libby to pick a name when she was born and her older sister opted to torture her from the moment she was born. Karen insisted that she always loved the name and it was purely coincidental. She didn't hate her name, but she definitely hated the jokes that came along with it. Growing up, April Fool's Day was always the worst day of the year. Having the name April made her a clear target in middle school… and junior high… and high school. Thankfully, the jokes ended when she left for college, though friends still teased her when they found out when her birthday was.

Now she was 31 years old. The previous year, it took her a while to accept the fact that she was no longer in her 20's. Her birthday greeting from Libby certainly didn't help when she said, "Welcome to the 30 club, old hag. Find a boyfriend yet?"

But at least this year was different. Engaged to the most gorgeous and lovable man she had ever met, a healthy baby boy and a steady job in a place where her coworkers were finally respecting her more. Nothing could top that – for now. It was already a thousand times better than last year when she had to celebrate her birthday after failing her boards. She practically shut off her cell phone trying to avoid any pity calls from her family. Things were awkward with Jackson, so a simple birthday greeting from him never happened. He knew she wouldn't be in the mood and made sure not to make a big deal about it.

The alarm woke her up at exactly 7 AM. She blindly reached for the clock, turning it off and keeping her eyes shut to squeeze in some light snoozing. However, her moment of peace and quiet was disrupted by small movement next to her on the bed. She rolled over and opened her eyes to find Jordan sitting up on the bed with a pointy party hat on his head. He had just started sitting up on his own last week.

"Hey, Jordan. How did you get here?" she asked, rubbing her eyes with a smile on her face. Her son was more preoccupied with the plastic horn in his hands and he had fun gnawing at it. He had started teething three weeks earlier. "Do you know what day it is?"

She climbed out of bed, picking up Jordan afterwards. Walking out of the bedroom, she strolled down the hallway and into the living room. She could smell the food Jackson was cooking in the kitchen.

Jackson, still dressed in his pajama pants and a t-shirt, looked up from the stove when April entered the kitchen. "Good morning, birthday girl," he happily greeted her and softly kissed her lips. "It took me forever to get that hat on his head. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it before your alarm went off. He was getting fussy."

"I can see why. It's almost too big for his head, but cute idea. What's for breakfast?"

"Cinnamon French toast. It's my first try at it, but buying bread with cinnamon swirls in it made things easier for me," he answered with a grin. "I taste tested my first batch to make sure it wouldn't kill you and I must say, I make pretty awesome cinnamon French toast, which also means I'm awesome too."

She smirked at her fiancé. "Be thankful I love you or else your ego would be so annoying. Smells really good, though, so I trust your cooking."

"So, it's a very different birthday than from last year's. Excited this time? I owe Joe a ton for closing down the bar just for us and the others invited to our little party tonight."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it," she cheerfully replied. "I probably won't be drinking too much. I do have to work tomorrow and hangovers and I aren't great friends."

"Well, I'm your designated driver, so drink all you want." Both of them heard a knock on the front door. "I wonder who that could be. I never asked Karev to come over for breakfast."

"I'll get it." April left the kitchen to answer the door. First, she checked to see who it was through the peephole and she immediately squealed when she saw who was waiting outside. She flung the door open to welcome her three sisters. "Oh my gosh! You guys, what are you doing here?"

"Surprising you for your birthday, duh!" Alice excitedly said as she walked into the apartment. "The three of us had this planned since January."

Libby nodded and smiled. "Yup, the plan was to ambush you when you're not looking your best in the morning," she quipped, then she hugged April. "Oh, you know I don't entirely mean that. Happy Birthday, April."

April still had to roll her eyes at the snide remark, but she couldn't stop smiling. "I can't believe you're all here. Wow, what a nice surprise." She closed the door after all of her sisters were inside. "Jackson, sweetie. You're gonna have to make more cinnamon French toast. My sisters are here."

Jackson took a brief break from cooking to greet April's sisters. He already knew Alice, but he hadn't formally met Libby and Kimmie when they visited April at the hospital. There was the quick, "Hello", but he and their parents weren't on good terms yet, so their meetings were brief. He did remember Libby staring at him like he was a hot piece of meat and Kimmie wasn't innocent either. He knew immediately what they were wondering when he saw them whispering to each other. How the hell did April get a guy like him?

"And it's the infamous Kepner girls," he sarcastically said with a smile on his face. "You came just in time for breakfast. Uhh, make yourselves comfortable."

Alice gave Jackson a quick hug. "Sorry for not calling you ahead of time. We thought it'd be fun if you were both equally surprised to see us here."

"No, it's fine. Actually, we're having a party for April at Joe's tonight. You're all more than welcome to come, of course." And yet again, he caught Libby and Kimmie checking him out. "Umm… why don't you four have a seat at the table?"

April led her sisters to the dining table after they set their luggage down. Alice sat down and waved at Jordan. "Aww, look at Jordan. He's getting so big and handsome. Can I hold him? Obviously, it's been a while since I held my godson."

"It baffles me that you never bothered to ask your older sister to be his godparent," Libby scoffed. "Then again, Alice was always your favorite."

"I think you forgot that you asked Kimmie and your best friend from high school, who you don't even talk to anymore, to be Kayla and Melissa's godmothers and Alice is Mason's godmother," April reminded Libby while she handed her son over to Alice. "Oh, and Kimmie asked you to be Maya's godmother, which means I'm nobody's godmother at the moment."

Libby laughed. "But it's common knowledge that the oldest sibling gets first dibs on godchildren."

"Right and I'm sure skipping over your first younger sister's a tradition too," she retorted. "You and Kimmie will be bridesmaids in my wedding. Isn't that good enough?"

"And you're leaving Alice out?"

"No, she's my Maid of Honor."

Alice softly gasped and grinned, while her two other sisters looked at each other dumbfounded. "Aww, really? Thanks, April!"

"Oh, c'mon. Alice is already Jordan's godmother and now you're making her Maid of Honor too?" Kimmie whined. "Are we nothing to you, April?"

"You guys, please. It's my birthday and I don't want to fight with any of you today, okay?" April pleaded. "We can fight about this some other time, but not today."

Libby sighed, nodding her head. "Yeah, fine. The three of us did agree to keep your birthday drama-free and we intend on doing that. We won't pick on you too much today, April." She pulled her sister closer to her and lowered her voice to a whisper. "That Jackson is _so_ hot."

"You're _married_ Libby. Stop that," she scolded.

Kimmie giggled. "She's right, though. I mean, nobody who looks like him ever lived in Moline and the guys at school didn't either – well, Barry Evans was an exceptional piece of hotness," she noted, slyly grinning at April. "Remember him?"

April looked back at Kimmie, furrowing her eyebrows. "How could I not? Whatever. Barry's history and I'm happily engaged to a man who loves me for me." She pointed her finger at Libby and Kimmie. "And if you try to embarrass me in any way or try to flirt with Jackson, I won't hesitate to kick both of your asses. I've taken part in a bar fight, so don't think I won't do it."

Jackson was in the kitchen, quietly laughing at the fact that the Kepner's were horrible at keeping their voices down. He heard everything except for Libby's whisper and it also helped that part of the kitchen had an opening in the wall with a view of the living room and dining area. April threatening her sisters made him smile. He loved her feisty side.

"Anyway, are you working today?" Alice said, trying to change the subject.

"Unfortunately, I am," she glumly replied. "But Jackson's off, so uhh… I guess you three can hang out with him and Jordan until my shift ends. In fact, drill him all you want. He can handle it."

"Depends on how bad the drilling is," he called out from the kitchen.

After he finished cooking at the stove, he brought out extra plates, utensils and a larger plate of cinnamon French toast to the table. He took care of the beverages and made sure everyone had what they needed. Even without her sisters around, he was going to pamper April until she left for work.

"Holy crap, this is good," Libby mumbled with a mouthful of food in her mouth. "Carl can't cook anything unless it involves a microwave. Can we trade men, April?"

"Umm, no. I like mine, thank you." April decided she was going to brush off whatever Libby and Kimmie had to say about Jackson. She knew he wasn't interested in them, so fighting with them was pointless. She didn't want stupid fights ruining her birthday. "So, Alice. Have you narrowed down your choices for medical school?"

Since her early acceptance into Stanford, Alice's list of schools increased over the next few months. "Well, I knocked out Yale and Brown because they're too expensive. I'm choosing from UCLA, Washington, Duke, UCSF, Stanford and Ohio State – or as Dad says when he's correcting us, _the_ Ohio State."

April smiled. "Those are all great. Don't you have to decide soon? Some of them have different deadlines."

Alice nodded as she chewed her food. "I'm having a hard time deciding what's best for me. UCLA, UCSF and Stanford keep me in California. Dylan wants me to return to UCLA, but I feel like I should branch out to a new environment. Duke and Stanford are so good, but they're super private and probably too expensive. Ohio State obviously keeps me closer to home and Washington would mean I can turn to you for help when I think I'm screwed."

Kimmie smirked at Alice. "It won't be like middle school when April did all of your science projects. She won't have as much time to do the work for you."

"I know that," she said, slightly annoyed. "But I think going to Washington would be good for me. I can learn from April and Jackson and hopefully, some of her other friends. I'm actually contemplating surgery, perhaps neurosurgery."

"Oh, that's nice!" April chirped. "But to be honest with you, you probably won't be doing neurosurgery by the time you start residency. I thought I was and I ended up choosing something entirely different. Jackson didn't end up with his original plan either."

"If you want to go Cardio and be tortured, then go to Stanford. My sister will eventually help you understand why I chose not to go that route anymore," Jackson joked. "She's the Head of Cardiothoracics, but she does teach a couple of classes at the medical school too."

"You can't make a bad choice with any of those schools," April assured her sister. "Just go with your gut instinct. We'll all be happy for you no matter what."

Libby looked at Kimmie. "Maybe we should go to medical school, so we'll know what they're talking about whenever we're all together like this," she sarcastically said.

"Oh, please. We don't talk about surgeries 24/7," April said defensively. "Fine. Enough about medical school. What are you two up to these days? Kimmie, are you still doing that one play? Umm… what's it called again?"

"_Honey, I Killed Your Best Friend, But I Didn't Mean To_? Uhh, yeah… that was a bust," Kimmie bitterly said. "But I auditioned for a part in _Bring It On: The Musical_. It went well, so I might finally get my chance at performing on Broadway."

"That's great! See? All your hard work could pay off soon," she replied and smiled.

The conversation about everybody's accomplishments certainly rubbed Libby the wrong way and April could see it on her face. Her older sister was always the popular girl in school and people worshipped her. But she wasn't the popular girl anymore. She was a stay at home mother and not the runway model she hoped to be. It sometimes amazed April just how much things changed post-high school. She always wanted to be a doctor and now she was one, while Libby threw away her dreams for a man she barely knew before she married him. As much as she tried to be happy for her older sister, it was always obvious to her that Libby wished she hadn't rushed into marriage.

"Umm, how are the kids, Libby?" she politely asked.

Libby groaned. "Same as usual. Never listening to me, always fighting. Let me tell you, it's a breath of fresh air whenever I get the chance to leave Columbus."

"That's a little… harsh," April awkwardly said.

"Well, maybe if you spent a day watching your nieces and nephew, then you'd understand," she retorted. Libby quickly shook her head, then she grinned at Jackson. "So, Jackson, tell us more about yourself. I'd love to know more about you."

Jackson looked at April, who simply shrugged, then he began talking about the basics with her sisters. It started to bother him that his fiancé had to work because he suspected Libby would try to pounce on him if the opportunity came.

* * *

She always believed people were supposed to be happy on their birthday. Wasn't that the point of "Happy Birthday"? However, her day at work was anything but happy. It hadn't even been halfway through the day and three trauma patients died before they could be moved into an OR. The first patient came in with multiple gunshot wounds. She had everything under control until one of her screwball interns got in her way and the patient bled out in front of her. The second patient was already in critical condition after a three-car accident in downtown. She was determined to save her, but her best effort wasn't enough. The third patient was an elderly woman who had taken a bad fall in her kitchen. All seemed well until she began seizing due to hemorrhaging in her brain. Efforts to save her failed as well.

The last patient was the final straw for April. She had been in such a good mood earlier that morning after her sisters surprised her and Jackson cooked breakfast. She ended up hiding in a supply closet, crying her eyes out to unleash her frustration. Three patients died on her watch. Happy freakin' Birthday, Kepner.

As if she needed to feel worse, she received a page from Owen. He wanted her meet him in his office for a talk. He was around when her three patients died. She had a bad feeling she would be getting fired for the third time. Great birthday present from the Chief.

April gently knocked on the door before she walked into Owen's office. Her eyes were red and puffy, but at that point she couldn't care less. Her day had turned into crap in a few hours, so how much worse could it get?

"Have a seat, Dr. Kepner," Owen said, his hands folded on top of his desk. He saw the look of defeat on her face and sighed. "Are you alright? You've had a rough day in the ER today."

"I-I'm fine," she softly said with a frown on her face. "It's just not how I wanted to celebrate my birthday."

"Well, I know you did your best with those patients. As much as we want to save everybody, sometimes we just can't," he insisted. "But I have some news that will hopefully brighten your mood a bit. Dr. Spain of Stanford called me 20 minutes ago. They want you, April. Your checklist has been a huge help for their hospital. They created an opening just for you – pending the results of your boards retake. They'll take you if you pass."

April was speechless for a moment. Stanford actually wanted her. She wondered if Samantha had put in a good word for her after they had gotten along during the rest of her weekend in California. "Really? They want me?"

Owen nodded and smiled. "Dr. Spain sees tremendous potential in you. He thinks you'd be a good fit at their hospital."

"But… Jackson. We have a baby together," she said, sounding concerned. "I don't want to be away from them. I'm sorry, but I can't accept the position if it means I'm separated from my family."

"I did talk to Dr. Spain about your situation and he said they could make room for him as well. His sister's married to their Chief's son after all, so they'd be silly to refuse service from another Avery," he explained. "I'm not saying you have to go to Stanford. While I do think it's a great opportunity for you, I'd love for you stay here with us."

"Thanks for telling me, but I think I'll have to respectfully pass. Jackson loves working here and so do I," she politely turned down the offer. "Besides, you said Stanford only wants me if I pass my boards. I'm not guaranteed to pass."

"You're going to pass. In fact, I need you to pass because Larry Jennings informed me during a meeting last week that he wants all of our surgical attendings and fellows to be board certified. He thinks Seattle Grace would look better and more reliable if everyone was board certified."

April furrowed her eyebrows. "So what are you saying? If I fail my boards again, then I lose my job _again_?" she asked worriedly. "Dr. Hunt, I've barely started my fellowship and I'm already at risk of losing it?"

"I'm really sorry, but I have to follow his protocol. I don't mean to add more pressure on yourself, but I'll have to let you go if you don't pass your boards," he replied regretfully. "Like I said, I want you to stay and I've been helping you study since you returned. Don't let this get to your head. Think of this as a motivational tool."

"Okay," she muttered. "You can tell Stanford I passed on their offer, I guess."

"Actually, they don't need an answer until the end of June. Who knows? Maybe you'll have a change of heart."

April frowned again. "If I pass."

* * *

It was a blessing to have her party at Joe's because she desperately needed to reunite with an old friend – tequila. Good old tequila was best friends with Meredith and Cristina, but April occasionally made buddies with the drink whenever her day went badly. She didn't plan on drinking a lot on her birthday, but after the day she had it was necessary.

She arrived at the bar early and she was the only person inside besides Joe and his employees. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, four… she quickly jumped into her drinking party and it was barely 8 PM. Jackson wouldn't be there for another hour, which was when the party would officially start. Mrs. Portman, the lovely old neighbor across from their apartment, was babysitting Jordan until they returned home.

It was either tequila shot number five or six – she couldn't remember – when Alex entered Joe's about 20 minutes later. His shift ended early, so he figured he might as well indulge in some pre-party drinking and a basket of buffalo wings.

"I'll have a Samuel Adams and wings, Joe," he said as took a seat beside April at the counter. Alex eyed the group of empty shot glasses in front of the birthday girl and chuckled. "Getting a head start, Kepner? Save some room. We got like three hours left to kill."

April looked at Alex with a drunken smile. It never took long for the alcohol to hit her. "Remember when we almost did it?" she asked and giggled. "I dodged syphilis. You had syphilis."

"Uhh, yeah. That happened before you Mercy Westers invaded our turf," he said with a smirk. Wasted Kepner was a fun person to watch. She was less uptight and a wild woman. He kind of liked her that way.

Another shot of tequila headed her way, but Alex intercepted it and drank it for her. "Hey, that's mine," she whined.

"I'm doing you a favor," he insisted. "Avery will be pissed if he shows up and you're already passed out on the floor. Slow down on the booze. I'm serious." He even signaled to Joe to cut off April's tequila to show how serious he was.

April playfully smacked Alex's arm. "Aww, you do care about me."

"Whatever. You're drunk," he said, rolling his eyes.

"I knew you always liked me. I'm that innocent girl next door you can't have," she teased. April pointed at herself with a goofy grin on her face. "I'm the good girl. You, you're da bad boy."

Alex grimaced. "Your attempt at drunk flirting is pretty awful. Stop before you embarrass yourself." Being alone with wasted Kepner was beginning to creep him out. He let out a sigh of relief when Meredith and Cristina walked inside. "Thank God, you're here. I'm already sick of babysitting April and I just got here too."

"It's her birthday. She can get wasted if she wants to," Cristina said and shrugged her shoulders. She gently patted April's back. "And it's a rarity for her to get this drunk, so I'm taking advantage of it. Kepner, what do you want? It's on me."

"She's banned from tequila," Alex added.

"Hmm… let's mix it up a little. How about a Sex on the Beach? It's a nice reminder of your fake first time," Cristina teased. April gave her a thumbs up, so she ordered her the drink. "I love drunk Kepner. She's not annoying."

Meredith sat beside Alex and smiled. "Let's just hope Joe doesn't have 'Sexy And I Know It' in his playlist."

* * *

Most of the guests had already arrived by the time Jackson showed up with April's sisters. He had hoped they would arrive on time, but Libby and Kimmie spent their precious time in the bathroom getting ready and they were a half an hour late. They stared at him all day. During lunch, on the couch while he watched TV, even when he was changing Jordan's diaper. Their stalker behavior forced him to lock the door of his bedroom when he changed clothes. He made sure Alice sat in the front seat with him on the way to Joe's.

Jackson searched for April, but he couldn't find her right away. He found Alex, who was chatting with a couple of female interns. "Hey, Karev. Where's April?"

"Being taken advantage of by residents," the Peds fellow quipped.

"_What_?" It wasn't until Alex pointed out April in the small crowd that he realized what he meant. His fiancé was sandwiched between two male residents as she danced wildly with a beer bottle in one hand. He walked towards the trio and smirked at them as he pulled her aside. "Excuse us."

April threw her arms over Jackson's shoulders. "My man! Jackman's here!" she shouted before she sloppily kissed his lips.

He gently pushed her away and took a moment to examine her drunken state. Her cheeks were flushed, her pupils were dilated and her breath reeked of booze. She appeared to be more wasted than at the party in Meredith's house after she failed her boards.

"You are _drunk_," he declared and softly laughed. "I thought you said you weren't going to drink a lot tonight."

"I had a change of heart," she giggled. April took Jackson's hand as she walked past him, dragging him along to wherever she was headed. "Now that you're here, I think it's time to make my birthday speech."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," he replied, grimacing. "You're not exactly in a sober state of mind right now."

She ignored him and climbed on top of the bar counter. "Errybody! Shh, shh! Shut up for a second!" she yelled as she waved her arms in the air. Within a matter of seconds, her peers and sisters were staring at her in the silent bar. "Welcome to my birthday bash, y'all! I am _so_ glad you came… even though most of you hate me."

Jackson closed his eyes, pursing his lips. He knew he should be helping her off of the counter before she hurt herself, but there was a good possibility that feisty April would come out and kick him in the face. "C'mon, April. Let's get you down from there."

"No. I'm not finished." April smiled at everyone else. "I have some news to share with you all. _Stanford_ wants me. I mean, they really want me to work for them! No joke! But… I gotta pass my boards or else I don't get the job… or my current job for that matter," she announced and chuckled. "Yup, I'll get fired _again_ if I don't pass, which I'm sure you're all rooting for to happen because you think I'm a loser. Two of my sisters always thought that, so why shouldn't you guys?"

Libby groaned and covered her face, feeling embarrassed by April's drunk speech. "I can't believe this is happening," she told herself, then she approached her sister and tugged on her arm. "April, stop it. You're embarrassing us."

"Oh, right. Because I _always_ embarrass you no matter what I do," she retorted. April pointed her bottle at Libby. "This is my older sister, Kibby- I mean, Limmie. Oh, what the hell! They're both bitchy sisters, so I'll morph them into one person. They are so jealous that I'm marrying Jackson because their husbands are both assholes! Ha!"

"Alright, that's enough," Jackson intervened and picked up his fiancé from the counter. He carried her over one shoulder as he walked towards the exit. "Uhh, sorry about that. We'll be right back."

He brought her outside, walking around the corner of the building before he set her on the ground. "What the hell were you thinking?!" he asked while he held her against the wall. "I know Libby and Kimmie aren't your favorite people, but what you said was uncalled for. They didn't deserve that."

"Okay, take their side," she replied, rolling their eyes.

"It's not about sides, April. You're acting ridiculous right now. I mean, you're really, really drunk and maybe you won't remember half of the things you just said tomorrow morning. Is it true about Stanford?"

April slowly nodded and sighed. "Yeah," she muttered. "But I already told Hunt to turn them down."

"Why?"

"Why do you think? I don't want to leave you and Jordan here and I know you wouldn't want to move and work in the same hospital as your sister," she answered, frowning. "Besides, the offer only stands if I pass my boards. Those freaking boards. I hate them. I can't keep a job without passing those damn boards!"

Wasted Kepner suddenly turned into a sobbing drunk. Jackson couldn't blame her. Her birthday wasn't going as well as planned. The last couple of years had been tough for her. Her best friend died in the shooting, she struggled in her role as Chief Resident – which he could take some of blame for since he hardly listened to her like everyone else. Failing her boards was the cherry on top to a crappy last few years of residency.

"My birthday sucks," she bitterly said. Her drunken state forced her to sit on the ground and lean back against the wall. "All of the patients I had today died in the ER. Owen had good news turned into crappy news. My sisters probably hate me and I just gave our coworkers another reason to poke fun at me."

Jackson sat beside April and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Do you remember the day we first met?"

She rested her cheek against his shoulder as she closed her eyes. "Jackson, I'm too drunk to remember a lot of things at the moment."

"Okay… I'll recap it for you," he offered with a smile. "I was late for our first day as interns, so I was rushing to get to the locker room. As I turned the corner, I ran into you while you were on your way out. You were writing in that red notebook when we bumped into each other. You kind of just ran off before I could apologize. Then later that day, I saw you sitting alone in the cafeteria during lunch, so I decided to give you some company. I was about to introduce myself, but you already knew who I was. You just didn't want to sound like a stalker. We had a nice chat about things that had nothing to do with the Avery legacy. I knew you weren't like the other girls who flirted with me to get my attention. You were genuine, a little shy and perky."

He softly laughed as he remembered how overly perky and slightly awkward she was back then. "Yeah, you were perky. Way more than Robbins. But I liked you… as a friend. Never in a million years did I think we'd be where we are now. And you know what? I'm happy things turned out differently than I imagined. Anyway, you're probably wondering why I'm bringing this up in the first place. We've come a long way since the day we met. Things happen for a reason, April. You're a great surgeon and you'll pass your boards. You said so yourself. You're going to pass and we're going to be happy here in Seattle… or at Stanford. Whatever makes you happy, but uhh… we should really discuss the possibility of moving first. I mean, when you're sober and in a better mood."

Jackson hoped his attempt to make April feel better worked. However, she had fallen asleep on his shoulder during his storytelling, so he wasn't sure how much she had heard before she passed out. Instead of waking her up, he pulled her closer to his body and kissed her forehead. He had planned to end the night with some birthday sex, but he knew they would be spending a lot of time by the toilet when they got home.

* * *

"Poke her. Maybe she's dead," Kimmie suggested. The three Kepner sisters were in April's bedroom watching her sleep the following morning. Jackson had left for work, leaving the trio to keep an eye on her.

"She's not dead, idiot," Alice replied, rolling her eyes. "She was up for most of the night puking everything she drank. She's probably still exhausted."

"Can we still poke her anyway?" Libby jokingly asked.

"Shut up. I can hear you loud and clear," April mumbled into her pillow. Her eyes remained closed shut. She wasn't ready to get out of bed quite yet. "God, I hope you didn't tell Mom and Dad about this."

Libby plopped down on the bed next to April, slyly grinning after her younger sister groaned. "We're not freakin' kids anymore, April. They don't have to know about everything. Some birthday last night, huh? Or do you even remember celebrating it at all?"

April slowly rolled over onto her back and rubbed her eyes. "Where's Jackson?"

"He went to work. He brought Jordan with him, so we can hang out all day," Alice answered. "And don't worry about reporting to work. Jackson talked to your boss and he gave you the day off."

"I feel like crap. There's no way I'm leaving the apartment," she whined. April finally managed to open her eyes. "I am so sorry, you guys. I totally humiliated you last night. I can't believe you're acting like nothing happened. Libby and Kimmie should be bitching at me for insulting them in front of my friends."

Libby dismissively waved her hand. "You were drunk. I've never seen you so wasted," she chuckled. "That's a first for me. Besides, you're right. Tom's an asshole."

"What? Carl's a bigger asshole!" Kimmie argued. "And gross, rolling around in all of that grease at the shop."

Alice shook her head as the two sisters bantered back and forth. "You guys, stop. Honestly? Both of your husbands are assholes."

"Oh, please! Your boyfriend's a lazy bum who surfs all day," Libby scoffed. "Your taste in men has always been horrible."

April listened to her sisters argue with each other and pulled her blanket over her head. She couldn't help but smile underneath the covers. They could fight all they want about who had the biggest loser for a significant other, but she had Jackson, who was perfect in her mind. He had carried her to the car, stayed up with her when she was vomiting in the toilet and he even helped her change her clothes before they went to bed. No man had ever taken care of her the way he did. Yup, nobody could tell her she was marrying a loser.

* * *

**Chapter 19 on Sunday. Glad Grey's is back tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath for any Japril scenes. Hopefully, next week!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks for the reviews! Well, this story is almost over, but I've been working on the sequel so you may not have to wait very long for that one. Here's the latest chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

All of the studying she had been doing since she returned to work had to be worth it. It was the first week of June and April would be leaving for Chicago to retake her boards exam in four days. Owen had reserved time in his schedule to mentor her and help her study. Jackson studied with her at their apartment when Jordan was asleep. Some of the other doctors also took time to prepare her for the boards. She felt more confident this time around, but a small part of her still felt apprehensive about passing. Her fellowship at Seattle Grace Mercy West was in danger of being revoked after all.

She studied every day to the point where she was tired of studying. It was an overwhelming amount of information to retain in her head, but she was determined to stay positive. She was also glad she didn't have to go through it all over again alone.

"Your patient has three GSW's to the abdomen and he is bleeding out quickly," Cristina stated as Alex played the patient for April. They used the dining table in the attendings lounge by having Alex lay on his back with chunks of red JELL-O spread all over his bare abdomen. "One bullet hit his liver and the other two hit his left kidney and spleen. Patient is hypotensive and heart rate is dropping fast. What do you do first, Kepner?"

April smirked at Alex. "I could always just let him die. I mean, it's _Karev_."

"Screw you," he said, glaring at her. "I'm not the one who needs to retake my freakin' boards."

Meredith watched Alex pick up the JELL-O from his abdomen and eat it. "You're sick, Alex."

Before April could answer Cristina's scenario, Miranda entered the lounge and immediately gasped in shock. "What in the hell is going on in here?!" She walked towards Alex with a scowl on her face. "Karev, clean that JELL-O off of your stomach and get back to work!"

Jackson held back his laugh and cleared his throat. "Dr. Bailey, we were just giving April last minute help before her boards."

"By turning the attendings lounge into your own little playground?" she asked irritably. "Kepner's ready. She's been ready for weeks. Dr. Hunt declared her ready, so if she studies any more her head will explode."

Alex grinned at Miranda while he ate more JELL-O. "Are you sure you don't want some? It tastes just as good from my abs," he insisted.

"What did I just tell you, Karev? Clean yourself up! I better not see a spot of JELL-O anywhere when I come back." Miranda got her lunch from the refrigerator and glared at the five doctors as she left the lounge. "Sometimes I feel like I work at a preschool. I swear, you people still act like 4-year olds," she muttered.

After she left, Kevin walked inside. He raised his eyebrow at the group, who all stared back at him amused. "You guys are so freakin' weird sometimes," he bluntly said and walked to the refrigerator. "I don't even want to know what you're up to."

The lounge remained silent until the Trauma fellow left. As soon as the door closed, the quintet burst into laughter. It had been a long time since they were all laid back and having fun at the hospital. Even Cristina seemed more relaxed. She never admitted it, but they were certain she and Owen were having sex again because she was less uptight and moody for the past two months.

Jackson stood behind April and rubbed her shoulders. "Bailey's right. You're ready for this." He wrapped his arms around her waist as he kissed her cheek. "My fiancé is ready."

"Pretty Boy's right," Cristina agreed. "A word of advice, just don't get into a bar fight and lose your virginity the night before your boards, got it?"

April playfully rolled her eyes. "I got it, Yang. Thanks."

"You'll pass this time, April," Meredith assured her. "We spent too many hours helping you study for you to fail again."

"What they all said," Alex added. He finished eating the JELL-O on his body and sat up on the table. "Plus, Avery won't be around to screw your brains out, so you won't have any distractions."

"There's still my mom. She'll be there making someone's life miserable as their proctor," Jackson quipped. "But you don't need to worry about her… I think. Just have dinner with her like she asked you to and she won't bother you again until after the exam's over. You'll be fine."

* * *

The day to leave for Chicago arrived and like the previous year, the fifth year residents were taking a shuttle to the airport. April was thankful to not be the only person retaking her boards. A doctor from Urology was also getting another chance to become board certified. She remembered Lexie would have been joining her on the trip if she hadn't been forced to take the year off. Having a friend with her would have been nice, but being alone helped her relax more.

Jackson had the next two days off from work, so he could stay at home with Jordan. He was more nervous about April passing her boards than she was. He didn't want her to lose her job because of a stupid test. She was a good doctor, but she had one major obstacle to beat before she could comfortably excel in her specialty. He called Catherine the day before to remind her not to make April nervous. It was going to be a long two days for him.

They stood outside of the hospital to say their goodbyes. Owen was with them and he was just as nervous as Jackson. He wanted her to stay at Seattle Grace. Having to fire her again would be too heartbreaking for him. In fact, he was considering firing himself if she failed again. He taught her everything he could teach, so he was confident despite the anxiety he felt.

"Alright, just remember you're a soldier, Kepner. You're going to face this exam with heart and determination and you're going to own it. Don't let the boards own you. _You_ own the boards," he advised.

Jackson laughed to himself. "So that's where the whole soldier thing came from." He smirked at Owen. "Makes more sense now."

April took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm going to pass," she said confidently. "I'll pass."

Jackson smiled and nodded. "Yes, you will." He handed Jordan to April. "Say your bye byes to Mommy, Jordan. She'll be back tomorrow night."

"Bye, baby! Be a good boy for Daddy, okay? Since you're crawling all over the place now don't drive him nuts by hiding from him," she said, using her baby talk voice. She kissed his cheeks, making him smile and show off the four tiny teeth that had come out.

"Call me when you're at your hotel, but if you're too tired you don't have to. Get plenty of rest before my mother talks her head off at dinner," he joked as he took their son back. He kissed her lips, then he hugged her with his free arm. "I know you're tired of hearing me say this, but you'll be fine. I love you."

"I love you too," she replied before she pulled away from him. April grabbed the handle of her carry on luggage and walked towards the shuttle bus. She turned around and waved at Jackson and Owen before she went inside.

When the shuttle bus began driving away Jackson waved at April through the window, then he looked at Owen. "She'll pass."

"Of course she will," the Chief agreed. "Failing isn't an option for her this time. She knows what's at stake, so she'll pass. She's more prepared this time." He looked back at Jackson. "Has she thought about Stanford at all?"

Jackson shook his head. "Not really. She wants to stay here."

"Have you two talked about it?"

"Well, I wanted to after I found out they wanted her, but she's been pretty insistent on staying in Seattle, so we never did. Do _you _want her to choose Stanford?" he asked curiously.

"I want her to stay, though Stanford's an opportunity she may never see again." Owen patted Jackson's shoulder. "It's just something to think about. Let's wait and see what happens with her boards exam first."

Unlike most doctors, Jackson didn't think Stanford was _that_ great. It was a world class hospital, he never denied that, but he was satisfied with staying in Seattle. He was comfortable with the people he worked with and being the only Avery working in the hospital was important to him. He didn't have to play shadow with any of his family members on a daily basis. Maybe Stanford was a good fit for April, but he knew it wasn't for him. He always reminded himself to be open about the possibility of moving if she wanted to go. However, the selfish side of him would fight for them to stay put if she were to change her mind about Stanford.

* * *

Despite the fact that Moline and Chicago were about four hours away from each other, it was April's first time in the Windy City. There wasn't much time to explore considering she was only there for two days. She would be taking a red eye flight home to Seattle after the boards. She checked into her room at the hotel, then she spent some time chatting with Jackson and Jordan via FaceTime.

Dinner with Catherine was at 6 PM in the restaurant located on the first floor. April made sure to arrive early, but her future mother-in-law already beat her there and was already seated at a table. Catherine waved at her from the table, grinning widely as April approached her.

"April, honey!" she greeted her with a hug. "You look fabulous. Doesn't even look like you had baby at all. We have a lot to catch up on, dear."

The two women sat across from each other, then she asked the waiter to pour a glass of wine for April. After they ordered their dinners, April opened a video of Jordan crawling around on her cell phone to show to Catherine. "Everything in our apartment's childproofed now. He loves getting into anything he can reach."

Catherine gushed at the video as she watched her grandson crawl. "Oh, what a gorgeous boy! He's growing up fast."

"I think he's looking more and more like Jackson," April said with a smile on her face. "He smiles all the time. Sometimes I have no idea what he's smiling about, but it's adorable anyway."

"I could just squeeze those chubby cheeks!" She handed April's cell phone back to her. "I'll have plenty of opportunities to do that when I'm in town next month for Mark Sloan's wedding. You and Jackson are in the wedding, yes?"

"We are. It'll be fun."

"And how's the wedding planning going for you two?" Catherine asked curiously. "Have you chosen a date yet? What about a venue?"

If April wanted to be completely honest, she would tell Catherine that she and Jackson haven't talked about wedding plans since their date on Valentine's Day. She had been too focused on work and the boards, forcing them to put wedding planning on the back burner.

"Well, there's no date yet, but we do want to get married in Seattle to make it easier for our coworkers. Umm… I've been spending more time studying for the boards, so there hasn't been much planning," she admitted. "We did sort of talk about having it next spring."

Catherine nodded. "Spring's not a bad idea. I'm assuming you want the perfect wedding and that takes months and months of planning. If you want my opinion, you and Jackson need to start making serious plans after you pass your boards." She held up her hand before April could open her mouth to speak. "And you will pass your boards this time, correct?"

"Y-yes," she hesitantly replied. "I'm definitely prepared to pass."

"Good, because a little birdie told me that Stanford wants you to work at their hospital," she noted.

_What was it with Avery's and little birdies?_ April quietly asked herself. To her, it sounded like Catherine and Samantha shared a lot of information about her with each other. How else did Jackson's sister know she failed her boards?

April quickly shrugged. "It's an intriguing offer, but I already decided to stay at Seattle Grace."

"Why? Stanford is a wonderful opportunity for you, honey. Is it Jackson? That Dr. Sloan can't hold my baby's hand forever and Samantha is open to having him at Stanford too." Catherine paused to sip her wine. "And your sister, Alice? Did she choose Stanford for medical school?"

"Actually, she's moving up to Seattle," April proudly announced. "She'll be starting medical school at the University of Washington this fall, so she's another reason why I want to stay there. It's been a while since I had family living that close to me."

"Now I can't argue against that. Besides, I'm sure Jackson wouldn't be too happy with me if he knew I was trying to push Stanford at you. You know how much he loves my meddling," she quipped and playfully waved her hand. "Seattle Grace is a fine hospital as well. Way too far from Boston for my taste, but it's nice to see Jackson settling down and starting a family – even if it was unintentional."

April softly laughed. "Did you think he'd never settle down?"

"No, but his track record with girlfriends wasn't that great before you came along. I don't think he's been with a woman for at least a year since he was in high school," she assumed. "I don't know. Maybe he thought some of the women he dated in the past had potential to be _the_ one and it never came to be. You're different, though. He'd be a fool to let you go."

"Umm, just how many girls has he been with?" she shyly asked.

"Too many to count. There are probably some I don't even know about." Catherine laughed loudly when April stared at her with her eyebrows raised. "Oh, April. My son wasn't a manwhore if that's what you're thinking. He never once contracted an STD… as far as I know. Anyway, none of those women matter to him anymore. Always remember that."

April slowly nodded, then she decided to change the subject. "I umm… ever since Christmas something's been slightly bothering me and I thought maybe you'd be more open to talk about this because Jackson isn't. Was his father a good person? I mean, before he became an alcoholic?"

Catherine's facial expression became serious. "Harper was a very loving man. I met him when we were medical school students at Harvard. Such a sweet talker he was," she recalled, beginning to smile again. "He had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen and he passed it down to our three children. A charming man. Now you know who Jackson got that from. It was love at first sight."

"When did you two get married?"

"After medical school. We had Samantha a year after that." She picked up her wine glass and took a sip. "You know, he was absolutely thrilled when we found out we were having a boy. At first, he was apprehensive about having a third child because we initially agreed to only have two, but he had a change of heart after we learned the sex. He fell in love with Jackson as soon as he laid eyes on him. Every night until he was three, Harper would sing a lullaby to put him to sleep. He didn't have the singing voice of an angel, but whenever he sang to Jackson it was beautiful."

April smiled as she remembered the many times Jackson sang to Jordan. He still wasn't aware of the fact that she knew about his singing. She would lean back against the wall outside of the nursery and listen to him sing. It was always the same lullaby. She wondered if it was a song Harper Jr. invented himself.

"What was the lullaby?"

"It was called 'Sweet Dreams, Baby Boy'. He made it up the night Jackson was born. After he stopped singing to Jackson, I picked it up and I sang it to him every night if I was available. Then when he was six he became all macho and said he was too cool for lullabies," she replied and chuckled. "I don't even know if he remembers that lullaby."

"Oh, he does," she happily said. "I hear him singing it to Jordan every once in a while. He'll only do it if I'm not in the room. He has no idea that I know about it. I don't want him to know. I don't want him to stop singing."

Catherine's face lit up. "So he does remember it? That's so sweet. Maybe he doesn't remember his father singing it to him, but I'm glad he picked something else up from him."

"So, umm… when did things get bad?"

"After Harper finished his fellowship. That's when his father started to really put pressure on him at Mass Gen," she glumly replied. "Everything was work before family. I spent a lot of time focusing on work too, but I made sure to spend time with the kids. He didn't do that. And I'm guessing you know the rest of the story. He turned into a completely different person. Always moody, never happy about anything. He wasn't the man I married."

April slightly frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been tough for you."

"Perhaps not as tough as it was for Jackson. My baby boy lacked a father figure during the time he was growing into a man. His grandfather tried to be there for him, but he was too busy to spend quality time with him," she explained. "I did the best I could to raise him to be a respectful gentleman."

"You did a good job, Dr. Avery."

"Oh, call me Catherine, honey. Just call me by my professional name when we're working," Catherine ordered and smiled. "We're already family, so don't feel uncomfortable, okay?"

April nodded and laughed. "Sorry. It still hasn't fully hit me yet that I'm engaged to an Avery. I was worried you wouldn't want Jackson to marry me because I failed my boards, probably one of the many flaws considered to be unbecoming of an Avery."

"Nonsense! I already told you I've wanted you two together for years," she reassured her. "Failing your boards the first time doesn't make you a bad doctor. You weren't the only one who failed that day, sweetheart. I'm sure you'll do just fine now that you know what to expect."

"I sure hope so."

* * *

It felt like some spiritual force wanted her to fail again because her morning started with bad luck, which was partly her fault. April woke up 20 minutes before the first session was scheduled to begin. She was positive she set her alarm on her cell phone, but she had forgotten to charge it overnight and the battery died an hour before it would have woken her up.

There wasn't time to take a shower, so she quickly changed into her outfit for the boards. She fixed her hair in five minutes, ate a granola bar that she had in her purse, prettied her face with some makeup and made a mad dash for the location of her exam. Holding her high heels in one hand, she let out a sigh of relief when she arrived on her floor with three minutes to spare. She found an empty seat in the hallway and casually slipped on her shoes.

She had three minutes to recollect herself and relax. She wasn't late, so she could stop panicking and she hoped that would be the only misfortune for the rest of the day.

"Nervous?" a blonde woman sitting beside her asked. She softly laughed as she pointed at herself. "It's okay. So am I. I think everyone is allowed to be nervous. I mean, the boards can either make or break your career."

"Tell me about it," April muttered. She bit her lower lip, then she looked at the woman. "It's my second time."

The woman smiled. "At least you chose to try again. Everyone deserves a second chance. Believe me, I know," she assured her. "I went through a rough patch a couple of years ago, but I bounced back and I couldn't be happier. I have a fellowship waiting for me at Baylor and my fiancé is such a great guy. He's willing to give up his CEO job in Portland to move to Waco with me. It's rare to meet a man like that these days."

April nodded and smiled. "I definitely agree."

"So, what's the exam like? Were the proctors hard on you? Did they give you trick questions?"

"Umm, sometimes. They're so poker faced that you can't tell if your answer's right or wrong, but occasionally they'll let you know if you totally screwed up your make believe patient," she answered, then she softly laughed. "Just don't freak out. Freaking out can get you into a lot of trouble."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

A male proctor stepped out of one of the hotel rooms. "Isobel Stevens?"

"Oh, that's me," Izzie said before she stood up. She smiled at April as she walked away. "Good luck with your exam."

"You too." April watched Izzie disappear into the hotel room, then she suddenly furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait, what?" She quickly shook her head and sighed. She was more concerned about passing the first session of her boards than realizing she had been talking to Alex's ex-wife.

A minute later, a female proctor walked out of another room. "April Kepner?"

April got up from her seat and approached the proctor. "Good morning," she casually said while she smiled and shook her hand. As she walked inside, she wished she had said a small prayer in her head, but it was too late for that. It was time to clear her head and prove she could be a board certified surgeon.

* * *

Jackson relaxed on the couch and watched Jordan wander around in his walker in front of him. He had set up a barrier on the left side by placing the coffee table in the open space and the couches also blocked his son's escape routes. He smirked as Jordan used his chubby legs to try to push the coffee table with his walker.

"Keep trying, dude. You're not going anywhere," he chuckled. "At least you're getting a workout."

He heard his cell phone ringing by his side and picked it up. April was calling him, which meant the first session was finished. He opened her FaceTime call with a smile on his face, but it started to fade away when he saw how flustered she appeared on the screen.

"Umm, hey. How was the first session?"

"I don't know. It wasn't disastrous, but… I just don't know," she said and frowned. She was standing alone in a hallway just around the corner of her exam room. "I almost overslept, Jackson! If I didn't wake up, I would have been late and my proctors would have hated me and-"

"Calm down, April. You need to relax. I'm sure you did fine," he insisted. Jackson held his cell phone towards Jordan, who was still attempting to break through the coffee table. "Jordan, look it's Mommy. Come say 'Hi' to her."

April smiled when Jordan pushed his walker towards Jackson's phone. "Hi, baby! I miss you. What do you think? Will I pass my boards this time?" She softly gasped after her baby blew a raspberry with his mouth. "Oh my gosh! He thinks I'm gonna fail!"

"No, he doesn't." Jackson gently rubbed the top of Jordan's head and laughed. "He's just being his goofy self. You know he's been doing that for no reason. You love it when he does that. It's funny."

"My surgical career depends on this test. I can't afford to fail again, Jackson."

Jackson held his cell phone in front of his face again. "You _won't_ fail. You'll pass. You've been saying it for weeks." He raised his eyebrow curiously. "Maybe this isn't the best time to ask you this, but what are your thoughts about Stanford? Are they the same?"

"Yes. I'm not going," she answered. "I'm staying in Seattle. You love it there, I love it there. It's a nice place to raise Jordan, right? California's great, but we're not ready to pack up and move. Your mom tried to convince me to reconsider Stanford's offer, but there are too many factors that want me to stay put."

"Hunt seems to think you should reconsider because the opportunity might not happen again."

"Well, do _you_ want me to choose Stanford?"

"No."

"Then I'm not going."

"So, are you saying you're not going because I don't want to move or you truthfully do not want to work at Stanford?"

April furrowed her eyebrows. "Jackson, are you trying to get me to admit that I want to go, but I won't because _you_ don't want me to? I truthfully don't want to leave Seattle. Even though I'm pretty sure the doctors at Stanford liked me a lot more than the doctors at Seattle Grace ever did, I'm okay with staying."

Jackson slightly smiled. "And there will be no regrets?"

"I love you, but I'm very close to hanging up on you. Can we just drop it already?" she asked, a little annoyed.

"Okay, okay. We're done talking about it." Jackson decided to change the subject. "Are you sure you don't want me picking you up from the airport later? You're uhh, fine taking a taxi? The last time you were in a taxi-"

"Jackson, I'm going to be fine. The route from the airport to our apartment is different from the route to the hospital," she assured him. "And I don't want you driving around with Jordan so late at night. It'll be way past his bedtime, so he's better off sleeping in his crib. I know you're worried, but don't be. I'll be home tonight in one piece."

* * *

April's flight from Chicago was supposed to land at around 11 PM, but it was delayed by about an hour. It was almost midnight, forcing Jackson to become more impatient about her arrival. About 15 minutes later, his cell phone rang and he was glad to see his fiancé's number on the screen.

"Hey, did you just land?" he answered.

"Yup. I'm so tired."

"Are you on your way home now?"

"Uh huh. Just getting into a taxi."

"Alright. I'll be waiting for you at home. Don't check your boards result without me."

"I won't. See you soon."

Jackson impatiently waited for April on the couch. His mind was all over the place. He was excited to see her again, but also anxious to find out if she passed her boards. Their reunion could go one of two ways: lots of celebratory sex or drinking all of the beer in their refrigerator. He preferred the first option by a landslide.

The front door opened and he shot up onto his feet like a dog who had been waiting forever to see their owner again. April entered their apartment, dragging her carry on luggage behind her. She smiled as she closed the door.

"I'm back," she cheerfully said, despite how exhausted she appeared. "How's Jordan?"

"He's good. He's been asleep." He greeted her with a kiss, then he led her to the couch. "The moment's here. Results should be sent by now, April. Check your e-mail."

April softly groaned. "I don't even get a minute to relax first?" She clutched her cell phone in her hand and sighed. "Maybe you should check it for me."

Jackson shook his head. "Nope. You're doing it. It's your unfinished business to take care of." He took her free hand and kissed the back of it. "You told me after the third session that you felt better about how you did. I'm sure it's good news this time."

"Okay, just give me a second to breathe," she replied. She took a deep breath before she opened her e-mail. Sitting in her inbox was the result of her boards exam. "Here goes nothing."

She opened the e-mail. The only word she was looking for was _Pass_. She was skimming through it so fast that she had missed her result, forcing her to scroll up again. Finally, she saw the result that sealed her fate.

"I passed," she softly said. She was officially a board certified surgeon. The happy tears quickly filled her eyes. "Jackson, I passed!"

"You passed!" Jackson excitedly said, jumping up from the couch. He picked April up and spun around in a circle while he held her in his arms. He had a grin on his face as she laughed at how giddy he was. "I knew you'd pass. I'm so proud of you."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so relieved it's done. Thank you for helping me study." April chuckled when Jackson picked up the baby monitor from the coffee table and carried her to their bedroom with one arm. "Jackson, how impatient have you been?"

"Since you left yesterday," he answered with a smirk on his face. "But the wait is so worth it now."

* * *

**I hope you liked the small cameo ;) Also this isn't the last time you'll hear about Jackson's father. You'll find out what happened to him in the sequel.**

**Let me know what you think please! Last chapter will be posted on Wednesday!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks for the reviews! Folks, we've reached the end of this story. I really appreciate all of the reviews/feedback from everyone! Made writing my first fic worthwhile, so thanks for the support :)**

**Enjoy the last chapter!**

* * *

It was two days before Mark and Lexie's wedding. The special day was taking place behind Derek and Meredith's dream house. There was plenty of land to have the wedding and Lexie loved the view of Seattle from the hills. It would be the first big event they hosted since moving into the house and they gladly offered their home as a venue for the wedding.

The doctors found time out of their busy schedules for the wedding rehearsal. The area had already been prepared for the weekend. There was a large tent for the reception with tables and a dance floor set up. Chairs and an aisle were also ready next to the house. Mark and Lexie chose to have an intimate wedding, only inviting their closest family and friends.

Derek was the obvious choice for the Best Man, though Mark joked that Jackson would take his place if he suddenly died a day before the wedding. Jackson, Owen, Sam Bennett and Eric Thompson, Lexie's brother-in-law, were the groomsmen. Lexie's sister, Molly, was the Maid of Honor. Meredith, Cristina, Callie and April were the bridesmaids. They opted to have three flower girls because they didn't want to single someone out. Sofia, Zola and Lexie's niece, Laura, would be fighting for the spotlight down the aisle. Miranda's son, Tuck, was the ring bearer.

The wedding party spent an hour practicing where all of them were supposed to walk and stand. Afterwards, they hung out inside of the dream house. Lexie, Meredith and Molly were busy in the kitchen cooking dinner for the group – which included occasional bickering between the three Grey sisters since they all had different cooking techniques.

April watched them while she was seated by the island counter. Watching the threesome reminded her of her own sisters. She could definitely envision the four of them fighting for room in her tiny apartment kitchen. Karen would eventually intervene and take over the kitchen entirely. She was looking forward to the days building up to her own wedding.

She and Jackson had decided on a date: March 23rd, 2014. They found a church in downtown Seattle. Not too big, not too small. Their wedding date was booked and now all they had to do was figure out the details. She was thankful to have Alice moving up to Seattle next month to give her extra help on the wedding planning.

Jackson strolled into the kitchen after putting Jordan down for his nap in Zola's bedroom. In fact, all of the kids were taking their naps, giving their parents a nice break and a little relaxation.

"He's asleep now," he told his fiancé, sitting down beside her.

"Did you sing to him?"

"What?" he replied, acting clueless. "I don't sing, babe."

"Jackson," she said, placing a hand on his knee and grinned. "I know, okay? I've known since December that you sing to Jordan when I'm not around. I overheard you one time and decided to stay quiet about it because I didn't want you to feel embarrassed. Honestly, I think it's really sweet. I love that you sing for Jordan."

He slightly dropped his head, appearing to blush a little. In the back of his mind, he always knew she wouldn't mind that he sang to Jordan at night, but he was still embarrassed to learn that she had known about it for months. "Okay. You caught me," he murmured.

"Aww, don't be embarrassed," she said apologetically and smiled. "You have a sexy singing voice."

Jackson raised his head, slightly smiling back at her. "Fine, but I am _not_ singing to you at our wedding reception."

"I wasn't going to ask you to," she chuckled and leaned forward to kiss him.

"Avery, my man," Mark interrupted the couple with a grin on his face. "There's a Plastics conference in October at Duke. I've been asked to present, though I have no idea on my topic yet. I want you to be my wingman. You down? It's the weekend after Air Jordan's birthday. Plastics Posse needs to represent hard."

Jackson looked at April, who nodded graciously, then he smiled at Mark. "I'm your man."

Mark patted Jackson's shoulder. "Alright, it's a done deal then."

"What about that breast reconstruction patient from a few months ago? You know, the one who had half of her breast ripped off by a bear?" April suggested. "I think people would be impressed by how well you fixed her using abdominal muscle flaps and tissue. If you ask me, her boob looked perfectly normal in the post-op pictures Jackson showed me."

"Kepner, you are brilliant," he acknowledged. "That's a great idea. One of my best work, if I say so myself. Avery and I can present that together since he assisted me on that surgery."

"There won't be cameras, right?" Jackson asked curiously. "I mean, cameras that I can see recording me." He received an awkward stare from his mentor. "What? I don't like them."

Mark slowly looked back at April. "Anyway, thanks for bringing that one up. I owe you one," he happily said before he walked away from the couple.

Jackson smirked at his fiancé. "And thank you for coaxing Mark into including me in his presentation. I thought I was going to the conference for moral support."

"Oh, suck it up. You'll have a lot of time to prepare yourself from fainting," she scoffed, picking up his hands. "Hey, what time's your mother flying in tomorrow?"

"Early. Around ten or something, but Webber's picking her up from the airport before we meet her for lunch," he answered, rolling his eyes.

April giggled. "What's with the eye roll? You do that whenever Webber and your mom are in the same sentence," she pointed out. "Are they dating or something?"

"Something like that," he muttered.

"Since when?"

"Since Webber banged my mom at the boards last year," he mumbled.

"Oh…" April slowly said, then she softly laughed. "Well, your mom staying at his house for Christmas made more sense now. Umm, how come I never knew about this?"

"Because it's gross," Jackson whined. He shook his head in disgust. "And I don't want to have the bad visualizations of those two- ugh, I can't even say it. Let's not talk about _that_ before dinner."

She laughed again and pulled him towards her. She let him rest his forehead against her shoulder while she gently patted the back of his head. "Poor baby," she teased.

"And I found out about them when I went to my mom's room to get my lucky pencil," he groaned. "It was traumatizing."

"Oh, gosh. That's just… poor, poor you," she jokingly comforted him.

Jackson lifted his head to look at April. "This isn't funny," he sternly said, but she continued to smile. "How would you feel if Karev started banging Alice?"

"I'd throw up, but that's not gonna happen. Alex isn't her type," she insisted.

"You had a thing for Karev," he reminded her. "It could be a part of the Kepner gene."

"Yeah, but only because I thought I'd never have a chance with you. And for a while, it was easier being friends," she explained. "Then after you kicked Alex's ass, those feelings for you kind of came back and I didn't care about him in that way anymore."

Jackson grinned. The thought of Alex and April together actually disgusted him greatly. "That's good to know."

* * *

The next day, Jackson and April were meeting Catherine for lunch. As always, his mother preferred a pricey restaurant somewhere in downtown Seattle, forcing them to slightly dress up for their lunch date. He wore a black polo shirt with dark blue jeans and one of his many Nike shoes. April wore a simple yellow and white sundress. She thought it would be adorable if Jordan and Jackson matched and despite his protests, she dressed him up in a similar outfit.

Catherine spotted the couple from her table and waved at them. Jackson was fine until he saw Richard taking a seat next to his mother. He didn't expect to see him at the restaurant, but then again, maybe he should have.

"Oh, crap. Webber's here," he muttered as he walked towards the table with April, who was carrying Jordan.

"Relax, Jackson. You'll be fine," she assured him. She smiled at Catherine when they reached the table. "Hi, Dr. Avery- I mean, Catherine."

"My babies!" She stood up from her seat to greet them. She immediately noticed the father-son matching outfits. "Oh, look at how cute you two look. Remind me to get a picture of this later, okay?"

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Sure," he mumbled. He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Richard. "Dr. Webber."

"I hope you don't mind me bringing Richard along, baby. He did pick me up from the airport and why wouldn't I ask him to have lunch with us?" Catherine asked, unfazed by the glare her son gave Richard. "Have a seat, you two. I bet you're starving just like us. We had a little bit of extra time before we drove over here."

Jackson shuddered as he sat down across from Richard. April set Jordan in the high chair at the end of the table before she sat beside her fiancé. She pulled out a jar of mashed bananas and connected a bib around Jordan's neck.

"Oh, let me please," Catherine offered. "It's been a while since I've seen my grandbaby in person, so you sit back and relax. I'll feed him for you."

"How nice of you. Thank you." April handed the jar and a small spoon to Catherine. The foursome ordered their lunches before they carried on with their conversation. "Wait until you see Jordan's outfit for the wedding. It's so, so cute!"

Catherine smiled as she fed Jordan his baby food. "Will it be matching his daddy's outfit?"

"No. Thank goodness," Jackson muttered, forcing April to lightly smack his arm with the back of her hand. "Sorry, but the whole matching thing is pretty lame."

"Please, it won't surprise me when you buy Jordan a pair of Nikes that are exactly like yours," April teased.

"Those are matching _shoes_ not matching outfits," he said defensively. "There's a difference."

"Stop complaining, Jackson. It's not a big deal," Catherine scolded him. "You and Jordan both look very handsome."

April nodded in agreement. "Yes, they do," she replied, smiling and squeezing Jackson's hand.

After Catherine finished feeding Jordan, she set the jar on the table and softly clapped. "Good job, baby boy. You finished the whole thing," she boasted. She loudly laughed when he imitated her by clapping his hands with a smile on his face. "What a sweetheart."

"Say thanks to Grandma for letting her feed you," April cheerfully said. He blew a raspberry, which made them all laugh, then she opened a bag of yogurt bites and poured a small amount in a bowl. She watched her son pick one up with his thumb and index finger and feed himself. "Yummy, huh?"

"Guess what, you two? Jordan will be seeing his grandmother more often," the older Avery announced.

Jackson raised his eyebrow, feeling confused and concerned. "Uhh, why?"

Catherine grinned widely. "Because you're looking at the new Head of Urology at Seattle Grace Mercy West," she answered. "You and I will be working together occasionally, Jackson, so don't try to hide from me."

The point of getting out of Boston was to keep a good distance away from his mother. Now she would be working in the same hospital as him and he almost felt sick. She did stop meddling with his personal life since he was engaged to April, but that didn't mean she stopped meddling in general.

"That's wonderful news," April chimed in. "More time to see Jordan. That's great."

"I am also moving in with Richard," Catherine added.

"Gahh!" Jackson yelped as his eyes grew wide. If he was speechless then, he was more speechless now. He stared down at the table, his mouth partially open and his eyes appearing as if they were ready to pop out.

"Jackson?" April looked at him concerned. "Are you okay?"

Jackson barely nodded his head, still in shock. "Uhh… yeah," he softly said.

"Are you sure? Because you're hurting my hand!" She yanked her left hand out of his tight grip and gently rubbed it while she glared at him. "Snap out of it, Jackson."

"Baby, is everything fine?" Catherine asked, raising her eyebrow.

The Plastics fellow finally made eye contact with his mother. "Are you trying to ruin my life?" he harshly replied. "You're moving in with Webber? Mom, don't you think it's a little too fast for that?"

"You should talk, honey. Your relationship with April moved a lot faster than mine and Richard's."

"But- but that's different," he tried to argue. "We had a baby and… we chose not to rush into marriage. At least we've been seeing each other on a daily basis."

"And now Richard and I will be too," she replied nonchalantly. "We're not getting married, Jackson. We're just living together for the time being."

Jackson slouched in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He felt like he was in a nightmare he couldn't wake up from. "This is a joke, right? I'm waiting for somebody to pop out and tell me I'm on some prank show. Please tell me that's what this is."

Catherine pointed her finger at her son. "You are acting very childish right now. Stop it."

"You couldn't talk to me about any of this first?" he retorted. "And to be brutally honest, I thought you two were just screwing each other. I didn't know you were actually dating."

"Jackson, please. Just stop," April begged. She felt embarrassed for the both of them. Forcing herself to smile, she looked back at Catherine. "I'm very happy for you both. Having you at Seattle Grace will be awesome. I would love it if you helped us with the wedding planning. Alice is already helping, but an extra hand would make it even easier."

"I would love to help, honey," Catherine happily accepted the offer. "My daughters were both Bridezillas and hardly let me get involved with their wedding plans – except for the bill."

"I promise you I am not like that. I'm open to other ideas besides my own," she assured her.

Jackson smirked as he reached for his glass of water. "Good luck getting your ideas out, sweetheart." He sipped his water, ignoring the dirty look April gave him.

* * *

The drive home was quiet. Jackson had been annoyed with Catherine and Richard, while April was irritated by her fiancé's behavior. Every time she tried to have a conversation with his mother he would interrupt it with a snarky comment. The whole lunch date was uncomfortable and awkward.

They walked into their apartment with Jackson carrying Jordan's car seat inside. He didn't want to disturb their sleeping son, so he carefully set the car seat on the coffee table. He sat down on the couch, kicked off his shoes and sighed.

"That was torture," he groaned.

"You were rude," she bluntly said, then she sat down beside him. "I understand why you were upset, but did you have to be such an ass to your mom?"

Jackson turned his head to look at April. "Do you honestly think my mom moving here and working at Seattle Grace is a _good_ thing? It's going to be freakin' unbearable, especially for me," he complained. "And wedding planning? You think it'll be fun, but she's going to take over and turn it into _her_ dream wedding."

"Well, it's _our_ wedding and we'll just have to stand our ground if she tries. I'm glad we have extra help because we can't do this alone considering how busy our work schedules can be." April grabbed Jackson's face with one hand and squeezed his cheeks. "You need to apologize to your mom."

"You're hurting my face," he muttered.

She let go of his face and grinned. "That was for hurting my hand earlier. Anyway, I'm serious. Your mother is _happy_ and you're being a huge jerk about it. I mean, after what your dad put her through, I think it's sweet that she found someone who makes her feel loved again."

He softly chuckled. "Webber? The guy fired you, remember?"

"Yeah, but I could see on his face that he really didn't want to. Plus, I have my job back, so that's history," she dismissed his comment. "And he's not a bad guy, Jackson. Sure, he had problems in the past with alcohol, but he won't go back to his old ways."

"I think I'm more annoyed that she'll be working here. I moved far away from Boston for a reason and that reason is moving to Seattle now," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Instead of worrying about the disadvantages, think about the advantages," she suggested. "We have a permanent babysitter for Jordan."

"That's only one advantage against the many disadvantages," he replied with a smirk.

April playfully punched Jackson's shoulder. "I'm trying to look at the bright side of all of this, but you won't let me."

"I'm sorry, but I grew up with my mom, so it's hard to find anything bright about seeing her every day," he argued.

"Believe me, there are going to be days when you're glad your mom is living in the same city as you. Mine is practically across the country and I would love it if she was nearby."

"But your mom's awesome. Mine is a lunatic," he quipped.

"Jackson," she groaned and stood up. She placed her hands on her hips. "You know what? Until you apologize to your mother, I am _not_ putting out for you. No sex for you."

Jackson's mouth dropped open. "Oh, c'mon. That's not cool."

She laughed and gently patted his cheek. "All you have to do is apologize to her tomorrow at the wedding and everything will be back to normal. You can handle a day without sex, right?" she teased.

"Maybe," he muttered, folding his arms. "Maybe not."

"It's your choice, sweetie." She started walking away from him. "I'm going to take a shower _and _I'm locking the door. I won't take long."

Jackson tilted his head back, resting it against the couch. "Damn," he mumbled to himself. He was certain April would use his mother from now on whenever they disagreed about anything. Just another reason to dislike the idea of Catherine working at SGMW.

* * *

"You may now kiss your bride."

Mark followed the pastor's orders, placing his hands on Lexie's cheeks and softly kissing her lips. The guests reacted with cheers and applause as the newly wedded couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Both of them had bright smiles on their faces. After the ups and downs they had been through over the years, being married was a long time coming.

The string quartet hired for the wedding began playing the recessional song. Mark and Lexie walked up the aisle first, followed by Derek and Molly, then the rest of the wedding party followed suit. The bridesmaids wore matching lavender dresses, while the groom and his men wore black tuxedos with lavender ties. Lexie was dressed in a strapless white gown and her hair was neatly fixed into a bun, which was decorated with a few small, white flowers.

The ceremony was flawless. The weather cooperated with the sun shining down on the hills where Derek and Meredith's dream house stood. It was a beautiful wedding, especially having the view of Seattle in front of them.

While the catering crew was busy preparing for the reception, a photographer took the free time to take formal pictures of the married couple and their wedding party.

Jackson had his arms wrapped around April's waist as various flashes from different people's cameras took numerous photos of the group. He thought his fiancé was beautiful before the wedding, but she looked even more beautiful in her bridesmaid dress. Her auburn hair was partially pulled up and he loved the fact that her dress showed off her shoulders. He wondered how much more beautiful she could get when it was her turn to be the bride.

"You look hot," he whispered into her ear. "Very _sexy_."

"You're still not getting any until you apologize to your mom," she said, while she grinned at the photographer.

"You're ridiculous."

"Whatever. You love me."

He smiled into her hair. "That much is true."

After the small photo shoot, April led Jackson to Catherine, who watched Jordan during the wedding. Their son was originally dressed in a white dress shirt with a clip on bow tie and black pants, but his top was removed and had his baby undershirt on instead.

"Poor baby was getting fussy. I think he was getting hot in his shirt, so I took it off," Catherine explained.

"Oh, it's alright. It's a warm day," she replied and took Jordan from her. "We're gonna go for a little walk – or more like I'm going to teach him how to walk. It's a perfect time to have one of those mother-son chats, don't you think?"

Before Jackson could respond, April left him alone with his mother. He inhaled sharply and exhaled as he rolled his eyes. "She did that on purpose," he groaned.

Catherine smirked at Jackson. "Trying to avoid me now, baby?"

"Let's just get a few things straight," he started, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I'm going to be honest, Mom. I don't like the fact that you're transferring to my hospital. I also don't like seeing you with Webber. However, April made a good point yesterday after we had lunch with you. You're happy and after Dad left you, I've always wanted you to be happy no matter how much you annoy me sometimes. So, yeah. I'm sorry for being an ass yesterday, but I don't want you hovering over my shoulder 24/7 like I'm 16 again. That's all I ask."

"That's fine. I'm not going to treat you like a child." She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. "But if you try to avoid me as much as possible because you're embarrassed to be working with your mother, then I will definitely start hovering around like the Ghost of Christmas Past. And I have tons of embarrassing childhood stories to share with April, so don't mess with me, honey."

Jackson furrowed his eyebrows, then he softly laughed. "Maybe April should have chosen Stanford."

"Oh, please. You would've hated it there," she scoffed. "You and Sam working at the same hospital? Never gonna happen. You two can't have a decent conversation for two minutes without arguing."

"Okay, you're right," he admitted.

Catherine watched April hold on to Jordan's hands as she helped him walk on the grass. "They're so precious," she gushed. "Now it's your turn to get married. My dream is coming true."

Jackson chuckled. "I still can't believe you were able to restrain yourself for as long as you did. That has to be a personal record for you. You love meddling with my life."

"Well, that's going to stop… to a certain degree. Meddling with your love life isn't necessary anymore," she assured him. "April is perfect for you."

"Yeah," he said and smiled at his mother. "She is."

* * *

Midway through the wedding reception, many of the guests were on the dance floor busting out moves most of their peers haven't seen as a DJ played a song. Jackson stood nearby watching April giggle while she danced with Jordan.

Mark snuck up from behind him, patting him hard on the shoulder. "Avery, my man. It's time to pass on the wedding torch to you since you're the next one in line. Do you know who your Best Man is yet? I'll let you know now that I'll be available for whatever date you and Kepner chose."

"Haven't decided on a Best Man, but I'll keep you in mind," the Plastics fellow offered and winked. "So, how does it feel? You and Lexie finally tying the knot. It was always going to be you two together."

"It feels awesome," he gloated, pointing her out on the dance floor where she was dancing with Molly. "I mean, look at how gorgeous she is. Why would I ever want to give up on her? It's ridiculous how it took a near fatal plane crash for me to grow some balls, but I'm happy. We're really happy."

"I know what you mean," he agreed and stared at April. "And to think I almost lost her. I feel like I fall more in love with April every day. It's pretty cool, you know? To be in love with your best friend. She's the one person who's always had my back through everything."

Addison approached the two men and grinned at Mark. "So, Mark Sloan finally settled down and got married. I thought that would only happen if Hell froze over," she joked. "I'm impressed."

"Better late than never." Mark held out his hand. "The night won't be complete without a dance with you, Addie."

"I've already danced with Derek and Sam, which is pretty damn awkward, so a dance with you won't make things any less awkward," she quipped and walked towards the dance floor with him.

April approached Jackson carrying Jordan in her arms. "This little boy is almost exhausting me." She kissed their son's cheek. "And we still haven't danced together, Jackson. Don't be shy. You can't be worse than Hunt, who slipped trying to dance to 'Gangnam Style'."

Jackson laughed. "Just waiting for the right moment." He heard the DJ playing a slower song. "Which is now."

"Okay, I'll hand Jordan over to your mom. I'll be right back," she excitedly said.

He waited for her by the dance floor, then he took her hand after she returned from dropping off Jordan with Catherine. They found a spot on the dance floor before he wrapped his arms around her waist. She draped her arms around his neck as they kept their bodies close to each other.

"So, are there any ideas from this wedding we can steal?" he jokingly asked.

"Umm, the food was really good. Can we steal the catering service?"

"You can have whatever you want," he answered and gently kissed her lips. "It's your wedding and you deserve the best. Plus, my mom will want to pay for it, so don't hesitate to take advantage of that."

April sheepishly grinned. "I don't want to look like a gold digging bride."

Jackson shook his head. "You won't. I should show you pictures from my sisters' weddings. Considering we're planning this ourselves without the unnecessary flashy details, ours will look tame compared to theirs." He smugly grinned. "I already can't wait to see you in your wedding dress. You'll be the most beautiful bride ever."

"Shh, you don't want Lexie hearing that," she playfully warned him. "It's still her wedding night for another hour or so."

"Oh, yeah. Since I apologized to my mom…" He paused to dip her, making her laugh in the process. His face was inches away from her when he slyly grinned. "…that means I'm getting some tonight."

She waited for them to stand up straight before she responded. "Is that all you ever care about?"

"You know it." He laughed when she rolled her eyes. "But I love you, so it's not just sex to me. You know that." He rested his forehead against hers. "In eight months, you're going to be Mrs. Avery. I can't wait."

_Mrs. Avery_. She loved the sound of that. "Me either."

* * *

**As you can tell, I saved the Japril wedding for the sequel ;)**

**I've been working on the sequel, although I'm not ready to start posting it just yet. Haven't decided when the first chapter will be up, maybe sometime after Thanksgiving or early December. It's called "Butterflies and Hurricanes" (love the song) and based on the title alone, I am throwing more drama into this one! Keep an eye out for it.**

**Again, thanks for reading!**


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